


Underworld: Nocturne

by Metal_Ox137



Category: Underworld (Movies)
Genre: F/F, Vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-28
Updated: 2017-03-19
Packaged: 2018-05-10 01:15:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 76,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5563147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Metal_Ox137/pseuds/Metal_Ox137
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As the Great House falls to the Lycan army, bitter enemies Selene and Erika must form an alliance in order to survive.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

__

_“There never was a time when you and I did not exist. Nor shall there be any future where we cease to be.”  
\- Krishna to Arjuna, from the Bhagavad-Gita_

The toll attendant stood under the transom of the underground platform, wrinkling his nose and breathing through his mouth. His own fetid breath, heavy from alcohol, was unable to mask the humid, stale air of the station. The suffocating reek, a mixture of blood, urine, mold and decay, penetrated even the toxic vapors of gin and bourbon that swirled defensively around his nostrils. A rush of air announced the arrival of an inbound train, the last express before the night’s final stopping train. He leaned into the wind, hoping the advancing air might blow away some of the stench. What came instead was a fouler, clammier vapor, forced up from far deeper underground.  
He stopped short as he caught sight of her: a young woman, probably in her mid-to-late twenties, with shoulder-length raven-black hair that hung in uncombed tangles around her face. She was small and light of build, with a thin face that seemed utterly bleached of color. She was dressed entirely in black. A long leather coat hung loosely on her too-small shoulders, and she wore a skin-tight bodysuit that hugged her boyish figure. She wore leather boots with lifts, to give the best possible appearance of height. Her eyes seemed to shine of their own light.  
The man paused, transfixed by the sight of her. For a moment, he felt an irrational dread, knowing himself to be in the presence of some supernatural being. Her features were somehow ravaged, as if from substance abuse. In spite of this, she was stunningly beautiful. He felt the urge to go down on his knees before her.  
He collected himself with visible effort. Beautiful or not, addicts were not welcome in public places. If she’d come here to shoot up, she’d have to find somewhere else.  
She too caught sight of him and was momentarily startled. Clearly she did not expect to see anyone on the platform. She reached for her hip reflexively, as if to draw a weapon, and halted herself just as quickly. She was not armed, but was obviously used to bearing weapons. The man felt a thrill of dread again, knowing that had the woman been armed, he would probably already be dead.  
The woman parted her lips slightly and hissed like a cat, low and sibilant, a warning to stay well away. Her eyes burned like coals, reflecting far more than the dim ambient light of the station. The man stood rooted to the spot, deeply afraid.  
The train blasted through the station at top speed, a muffled explosion of rushing air and cacophonous shrieking metal. The lights from the passing cabins flashed across the young woman’s face, as the wind blew back her hair. Her pallor was as white as a sheet of paper.  
The train was almost clear of the platform, still hurtling at top speed for the end of the line. The woman turned her head and called out in a clear voice, “Erika, run!”  
Somehow, this call managed to penetrate the pervasive, grating screech of metal on metal as the train rushed by. Before the man could be surprised by this, the woman reached out, and in one fluid movement grabbed the security bar on back of the last cabin door, and swung herself onto the latch mount. The movement was blindly, inhumanly fast; no mortal woman could have moved with half such speed.  
Another blur caught his eye, a whoosh of dark grey practically flying over the turnstiles. For a moment, the darkling image froze, and the man witnessed another beautiful young woman, also dressed in black, with copper-golden hair and bloodless face, leaping off the edge of the platform to somehow catch the outstretched hand of her dark-tressed companion, her long cloak billowing out behind her like a cape. He had just enough time to see both figures clinging to the back of the train door, before it vanished from sight down the long, dark tunnel.  
The man had no time to register this astonishing sight when a third figure also leaped the turnstiles in a single, easy bound. Unlike the first two, this figure was male, just barely human; unclothed, but covered in fur, it seemed equally at home upright on two legs or down on all fours. The hind legs were jointed like a canine’s; the front, only marginally more human, could have been a man’s arms, if men’s hands ended in cruel, talon-like claws. The face also was a mixture of lupine and human, oddly stretched into a muzzle, like a dog. The creature turned on the man and roared; the man felt the rage of this bellow like a physical blow, and toppled backwards, his legs seemingly cut out from under him. The wolfen form whirled again, bounding down from the platform onto the rails, pelting after the train in hot pursuit.  
As quickly as they had come, train, women and wolf were all gone, swallowed in blackness, and the station was utterly silent again. Not even the staccato rattle of wheels on rails could be heard in the distance. The man remained where he had fallen, not moving for several moments, unsure of anything but the pounding of his own heart. Finally cognizant of his own ragged breathing, he pushed himself upright on shaking legs and stared down the dark tunnel where the figures had vanished. Without needing to glance down, he drew a hip flask from his trouser pocket, unscrewed the cap, and then – consciously regarding the container for the first time – deliberately tipped the flask and let the contents spill out onto the brick and mortar, seeping into the stone with the rest of the rain and mud and offal of the city.

_First Prologue: Selene  
Angers, Maine-et-Loire 1762_

The dark haired girl stirred, not certain what had woken her. She had an intimation of an alarm; a shrill, piercing cry of fright or pain. As she pushed herself up on one elbow, she heard the sound repeated, and recognized it as one of the horses in the stables, whinnying in fright. The noise was abruptly strangled mid-cry. The other animals in the barn began to screech and bray in protest, raising a cacophonous clatter. Heart pounding, the girl slipped from her warm bed, her bare feet flinching as they touched the cold stone floor.  
The rest of the family had been roused as well. As the girl stopped in her bedroom doorway, the girl’s father, a stout man with muscular arms, silently waved her back.  
“Papa, what is it?” she whispered. “Wolves?”  
Her father waved her to the next room. “Watch after the twins,” he hissed.  
“Papa, don’t go outside,” the girl pleaded, but the man shook his head and slipped out of the house through the front door. The girl ran to the nearest window and peered out. It was a moonless night, utterly black; she could barely make out the silhouette of the barn and stables across the yard. Her searching eyes caught a glint of starlight off tines: her father, brandishing a hayfork, moving cautiously but directly for the barn door.  
She saw them before her father did; black streaks chivvying around and around, darting in and out, moving too fast to truly be seen – they were shadows on velvet, only their streaking motion gave them away. Before she could even cry out, the first of the shadows struck, racing full tilt out of the circle, across the dark lawn, towards her father. The blackened form did not even seem to touch him, but the man cried out in agony, dropping the hayfork and collapsing as one leg gave out under him.  
The girl started to scream, but even before she could draw breath, she heard the sound of breaking glass behind her, coming from her parents’ room. She had one thought: her mother and younger sister. She whirled and charged up the shallow flight of steps that led into the hall. Something hard and invisible slammed into her full tilt, effortlessly knocking her off her feet and into the air. She landed hard on the stone floor and lay there stunned, trying to collect her wits and senses.  
The screaming began, and there was no mistaking it – her mother and younger sister were being attacked. Desperately, the girl tried to push herself to her feet, but her limbs jerked spasmodically, unresponsive to her will. The screams pierced her eardrums; she still could see nothing, and her ears were ringing fiercely but the ghastly shrieks of terror and pain stabbed her like knives, and suddenly the screaming stopped.  
Further away, she could hear the frightened wailing of small children: the twins, Celeste and Catherine, in the back bedroom. It was now after them – whatever it was. No, not an it – they. There was clearly more than one. She could hear movement all around her. She had not the breath to speak or cry out. Grimly, summoning every last ounce of will, the girl pushed herself up on her hands and knees and began to scramble desperately for the steps.  
Something hard and heavy knocked into her midsection, flipping her over and slamming her violently on her back again. The force of the blow knocked all remaining wind out of her, and she could only lay there, dazed and helpless, as even the cries of the twins were muffled, and then fell silent.  
She was not entirely sure how long she lay on the floor, just long enough to become aware that the attack was apparently over. The house, even the air, seemed preternaturally still. The front door opened. A man entered, brandishing a small torch. He was dressed in brown leather, including chaps and a long coat. He carried a bloodied sword in his alternate hand, which he returned to its scabbard as he entered. His mouth, chin and neck were smeared red with fresh blood, and gore dripped freely from his lower jaw. His ice blue eyes locked on her liquid brown ones. The girl lay where she had sprawled, shaking violently, unable to move or even close her eyes.  
The man knelt beside her, inclining his head towards her neck, and then stopped, fixing his gaze on hers. The girl felt his ice-fire eyes burning straight through her. She shuddered.  
_“Sprechen sie Deutsch?”_ the man asked.  
“What – what did you say?” the girl managed to ask.  
“You speak only French?” The stranger himself spoke his reply in French, but with a thick, heavy German accent.  
“Yes.”  
The man stared at her for a moment, as if considering; then he stood up and turned to the large wooden table in the great room. He lit two small oil lamps, then tossed the torch onto the damp earth outside, leaving the flame to burn itself out.  
“What has happened? Where is Papa?” the girl demanded fearfully, as the man returned to the her side.  
“Dead.”  
“Mama? Adrienne?”  
“I could not save them.” He paused. “You are the only one they left alive.”  
“Celeste! Catherine!” the girl cried, forcing herself to sit up.  
“Child, you cannot help them,” the man protested, but the girl had scrambled to her feet and she raced to the back bedroom. Somehow, the man managed to catch her arm just as she peered inside. He spun her away, but not before she had glimpsed two small bodies in the feeble firelight, mangled and broken, mauled as if by animals.  
“Mon Dieu,” the girl sobbed piteously. “Mon Dieu.” Strong arms lifted her up and effortlessly carried her away, back to the great room at the front of the house.  
“Leave the girl to me.” The man was speaking to someone else, but she neither saw nor cared who it was. “Clean the barns, the stable, the house. Leave no trace.”  
“My Lord,” a younger man’s voice answered in German, and a set of hurried footfalls left the room.  
The man sat the girl down in the only upholstered chair in the room, then knelt beside the chair.  
“I am sorry, child. My men will chase them away, but they will return before morning.”  
“They? Who are they?”  
“Lycans.”  
“Lycans,” she repeated the word in fright, not comprehending. “What are Lycans?”  
“Godless things. Half man, half beast. Demons, in the form of wolves. We hunt them, my men and I. We have tracked them for many days. Their trail led here, to your farmhouse. I am sorry we arrived too late to save your family.”  
“My mother… my father,” the girl whispered, nearly numb with shock.  
The man asked gently, “What is your name, child?”  
“Selene.”  
“Selene,” the man rolled the name carefully off his lips. “Selene. Yes. It is a good name. A fine Greek name. It identifies you as a daughter of the moon.” He seemed curiously pleased. “I am Viktor. I shall… look after you.”  
Selene stared at him, half remembering, focusing on the blood drying on Viktor’s face. His eyes seemed to burn of their own cobalt light.  
“You… you were there,” she spoke haltingly. “Outside. I saw you…”  
“I saved you, child. My men and I drove the Lycans away. They would have shown you no mercy.” He lifted one hand to stroke her dark hair. Selene tried to turn away, but she could not. Her limbs seemed unable to move.  
“I had a daughter once, not unlike you.” Viktor’s voice was soft, almost a whisper, lulling her into soporific reverie. “So very beautiful. She… died. The Lycans killed her. We have much in common, you and I. We have both lost our families to these monsters.”  
“What – what are you doing to me?” Selene was barely able to speak the words.  
“I shall bring you into my family. You will always have a place with me, child.”  
His eyes seemed to burn her flesh. She tried to look away but could not. “No,” she managed to whimper, but that was all the resistance she was able to offer. Viktor parted his lips and bared long fangs.  
“Courage, daughter. A moment’s pain, and it is done. In time to come, you will thank me for this.”  
Selene closed her eyes. She felt a white-hot pain, as something cruelly sharp broke the surface of her skin. Her body stiffened, then went limp. Blackness shrouded her, and with it, she lost consciousness. 

_Second Prologue: Erika  
Hamburg, Germany 2000_

The cool night air outside the club should have been a palliative, but it wasn’t. The vampire, young in appearance but centuries older, strode up the street, his gait suggesting both anger and impatience. A light drizzle was beginning to fall but he scarcely noticed. He brushed against a doorman, who didn’t appear to notice him, and disappeared inside.  
The interior of the club was almost as dark as outside, but inside it was stiflingly hot, pulsing with amplified music at almost intolerable volume and the writhing bodies of young men and women in various stages of drink or drug induced stupor. The vampire pushed his way across the dance floor to the bar, ordered a cocktail over which he made no pretense of drinking, and studied the crowd just out of arm’s reach, glowering sullenly.  
How dare she treat him like that! His teeth practically ground in fury. He was one of the Elders of the Great House – and to be spurned so contemptuously, so publicly, by a mere fledgling at that! He was sure they were all laughing at him, all the host of the Great House, laughing behind his back. There is nothing so ridiculous, he thought bitterly, than to approach a callow child with the intent of love. She would be made to pay for her insult, no matter what.  
He watched all the writhing flesh in front of him with a reaction something close to disgust. Marks were easy here, but it had been a long time since he had tasted blood that did not reek of alcohol or drugs – a generation raised on pills, he thought sourly. Don’t they realize how bad they smell? Untainted blood was nearly impossible to find.  
His anger evaporated as he caught sight of her. She was young, attractive, with loosely curled hair waving indecisively between copper and gold as the ringlets whirled around her round face. She had wide eyes and a lovely smile that doused even his sour mood. She wore a satiny dress, salmon in color; her attire seemed far too elegant for a sinkhole like this. He focused his concentration on her, studying her with heavy-lidded eyes. The curves of her breasts and hips were ample and generous, as was the fullness of her lips. In ten years time she would go to seed, but now, in the flush of youth, she was pleasingly full bodied. She’d had a drink this night, but only one; there was no toxicity steaming off her like most of these other wretches. She used no pills and apparently drank only in moderation.  
He closed his eyes for a moment, scanning her thoughts. The young man with her was not her companion, or rather he was her companion only for this one dance. She had not come alone: two friends were somewhere nearby, silly, distracted girls who in the course of the evening would surely lose track of her. Excellent. In fact, perfect. This one would be his choice.  
As the music faded from one indistinct song into another, he fixed her in his gaze, and smiling, the young woman made for the bar to join him. It was so easy to cast fascination on the unwary. It hardly seemed sporting at all.  
“You’re not dancing,” the young woman noted as she leaned against the bar next to him. She was perspiring, but not profusely; she was covered in a light sheen that reflected the light off the surface of her skin. Blood heat radiated from her like an oven. She was genuinely beautiful.  
“No, I’m not,” he admitted, looking her over with open admiration.  
“Not drinking, either.”  
“I will, soon,” he promised.  
“I’m Erika.”  
“Kraven,” the vampire nodded, indicating himself.  
Erika laughed out loud, and her laughter was ebullient, joyful, full of life. “Kraven? What kind of name is that?”  
“A very old name, and an honorable one,” he protested. “I have worn it proudly for centuries.”  
Erika laughed again, thinking he was making a joke. He let her look him over in her turn, and neither of them was displeased. He was handsome, although not strikingly so; his hair was light brown, not remarkable, but he kept it well-coiffed, and his frame was just muscular enough to suggest strength without bulk. He had a nice face, with a well set jaw, but his eyes glittered with a light of their own, and Erika found herself transfixed by them.  
“You’re not German,” he observed, by way of starting conversation.  
“No, English.”  
“I thought as much. Have you been in Hamburg long? No, wait. Let me guess. Several years now. In fact, you left England as a child, and with your family you have commuted between Germany and Budapest ever since.”  
“That’s true,” Erika admitted, startled. “Do I know you? I don’t think we’ve met before – have we?”  
“No. We have not met before tonight. I’m reading your thoughts.” He gave her his warmest smile.  
“Well, I wouldn’t read some of those thoughts too closely, if I were you,” she laughed at what she considered to be his unusual sense of humor. “Some of them might not be very nice.”  
“On the contrary, I find your thoughts quite charming. You seem remarkably uncorrupted by all this filth around you. Let me see… your parents returned to England two years ago, with one younger child, your sister. You have stayed here in Hamburg with two friends, ostensibly to continue your education.”  
“Yes…” Erika was still smiling, but she was becoming uneasy.  
“Now let me think. Your sister’s name would be… no, no, let me guess,” he smiled disarmingly, as if playing an innocent game, and for the moment Erika was reassured. “Hannah. Her name is Hannah. Am I right?”  
“Yes,” Erika admitted. “Okay, I give up. Who are you? You obviously know me, but you seem a little old to be a student. You’re a teaching assistant, is that it? And you pinched the university files to see what you could find out about me? That’s very naughty, you know,” she smiled in her turn.  
“Yes, I am an evil man,” Kraven admitted in all candor. He was enjoying this, toying with her, but thirst pressed deeply on him. Thirst for blood… and something else. It was time to be done with games.  
After only a moment’s concentration, and with ridiculous ease, he dispelled all conscious thought from the forefront of the girl’s mind. Her gaze became completely vacant. But he had to move quickly, the fascination would not last more than a few moments.  
“Will you come with me?” he asked, reaching for her hand. Erika, not comprehending, slipped her smaller hand inside his. In moments, they were back on the street, heading away from the club at a hurried pace.  
Erika felt a light drizzle on her face and shoulders, and blinking, tried to remember where she was. Still dazed, she was half-led, half-dragged into a lightless alleyway.  
“Where – where am I?” she asked, her mind clearing, her sense of danger re-asserting itself. But by now, it was far too late, although only Kraven understood that. He would sate himself on this one, this ample, golden-haired child; for the moment, it would drive away the hateful memory of that skinny, dark haired French witch who thought herself too good for the likes of him. He, who was one of the Elders of the Great House!  
His silent fury boiled back to the surface in full force, and Erika cried out in pain as he nearly crushed her wrist in his clenched hand. “Please, let go me,” she pleaded. “You’re hurting me!”  
Ignoring the girl’s protests, the vampire bared his fangs. Before she could scream, he bit down savagely on her neck, biting as hard and as deep as he possibly could without tearing her head from her shoulders. Erika’s body stiffened in shock. Her eyes glazed and she could offer no resistance as her blood was forcibly drained from her body in a matter of seconds. After drinking deep, Kraven released his grasp and let his victim slip down onto the wet pavement.  
Erika lay choking feebly, blood bubbles foaming her lips. Still in high rage, Kraven threw off his jacket, then reaching down, he tore open the front of Erika’s dress with one savage swipe. He was not done with her yet. There was one more violation to be done, while she still had life and breath, something that would wipe the stinging shame from his mind. Less than a man, was he? He would prove otherwise! And this poor, wretched girl would be the target of his revenge before he choked the life from her.  
The second attack was as violent and odious as the first, although Erika barely felt it. She knew she felt pain, but she could not tell where it was; all her senses seemed muffled somehow. At the height of the pain, which she now sensed was coming from somewhere between her legs, she felt strong hands tightening around her neck, closing her windpipe.  
“Please,” she rasped, with what little breath she had left. “Don’t kill me. Please.”  
The hands loosened their grip. Erika could still see nothing but darkness, but her senses were starting to return, and she began to realize what had been done to her.  
“Please don’t kill me,” she begged again, tears coming to her sightless eyes. “I don’t want to die.”  
“No.” Kraven’s disembodied voice floated somewhere above her. “No, I will not kill you. Perhaps there is another way, a better way.”  
“What did you do to me?” Erika moaned.  
She felt a hot, salty, bitter taste in her mouth. “Drink,” Kraven’s voice commanded. Erika choked as hot liquid poured down her throat.  
“Tonight, I make you mine,” the vampire said. “Tonight, at least, there will be no dark haired French twigs turning their noses up at me!” he vowed.  
Erika understood none of this; the blood she was forced to swallow was nothing more or less than a third assault on her body. But weakened by the first two attacks, she was unable to defend herself, and as her head began to spin, she succumbed to darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

_The Fall Of Great House  
Dunaharaszti 2004_

For the second time in as many nights, Kraven returned to Great House in a high rage. There was no way to describe the events of the evening as anything other than a total disaster. True, Lucien, the leader of the Lycan clan, was dead; but so too was Viktor, Eldest of the Great House, and Viktor’s successor Marcus Corvinus would arise in less than eighteen hours, to find the entire coven in disarray, and in all likelihood under siege by what remained of the Lycan clan. Worse, many of the Death Dealers – the coven’s private militia – had been injured or killed in a skirmish that had boiled over into a full scale war. All Kraven’s careful planning to usurp Viktor as the Eldest of Great House, plans that had taken more than a century to refine and perfect, had been laid waste in the space of a few short hours. He would be disgraced, cast out – but he would not be alone. If he was to fall, he would take others with him.  
He stopped first at the armory. “Viktor is dead,” he announced to the soldiers without preamble. The men, just returned from combat the Lycan stronghold and many of them wounded, cast uneasy glances with one another. Kraven obviously wasn’t lying – not about this.  
“What happened?” asked Kahn, the house armorer.  
“He was betrayed – murdered – by one of our own.”  
“Who?” Kahn asked suspiciously.  
“Selene.”  
There was a murmur of disbelief around the room. “She made a pact with a Lycan,” Kraven shouted them down. “She is a traitor! From this moment, the entire mansion is in lockdown. Secure the perimeter. No one gets in or out. No one,” he emphasized. “The Lycans are massing for an attack. Make sure that every able bodied man is armed. If Selene shows her face, she is to be shot on sight.”  
Kahn shouldered his weapon. “Selene would not betray us,” he protested.  
“On sight,” Kraven repeated angrily. He turned on his heel and stalked out.  
Kraven’s next stop was the security room. Surveillance cameras from all over Great House showed views at each landing, and in every passageway.  
“The tape from earlier this evening,” he ordered as he burst into the room. “Third floor, east wing. Near the perimeter alarm switches. Show me.”  
The officer at the desk nodded wordlessly, and tapped in a few strokes on his keyboard. Kraven watched the playback intently. On the screen, a female figure emerged from the shadows, glancing around furtively. Clearly unaware of the presence of the camera, she reached up, and in full view of the lens tripped the security switch. Alarm klaxons sounded. Kraven’s face twisted in a snarl of rage. So it had been his beloved daughter after all. Erika. In league with Selene! She would pay dearly for this betrayal.  
Erika had not gone out that evening. Locked in the central hall with the rest of the coven, she wandered restlessly from alcove to alcove, trying to avoid the other members of the household as much as possible. Unaware of the true danger facing them, the coven members were buzzing about Selene’s disappearance and Viktor’s unscheduled awakening. Normally alert to palace gossip, Erika had no stomach for it this night. Her hopes of getting Kraven to love and accept her as consort had been dashed.  
It had seemed so simple at the time – if Selene was free, she would go to her Lycan lover, Michael. Kraven, who would be outraged by this betrayal, would finally lose his long obsession with Selene and notice Erika instead – Erika, who had remained steadfastly loyal and supportive ever since her turning, even as Kraven ignored or belittled her.  
Kraven burst into the hall, accompanied by three guards, all bearing sidearms. The whole coven turned to watch as Kraven strode furiously across the floor. Once sure that she was his intended destination, Erika stepped forward to meet him. Something was wrong – his face was dark with rage, but far greater than the mere jealously and betrayal she expected.  
He stopped in front of her, seething with anger. Taken aback, Erika could barely manage to sink to one knee before him, and incline her head, the gesture of respect before an Elder of the House.  
“Stand,” Kraven ordered, his voice tight. Erika stood.  
“She didn’t escape without help,” Kraven said, too quietly.  
“My lord?” Erika feigned puzzlement.  
“The doors and windows were secured. Guards were posted under the window, and outside the door. There was no way Selene could have escaped that room unless the guards were drawn off. She had help, didn’t she?”  
As Erika weighed her reply, Kraven continued. “It was very simple, wasn’t it? Trip the alarms, and there’s no need to disable the security system. All the guards have orders to secure the perimeter in such cases. Which left you free… to help Selene escape.”  
“Yes, I helped her,” Erika admitted reluctantly, uncomfortable that this questioning was taking place so publicly. It was not the meeting she had envisioned.  
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”  
Erika frowned, not understanding.  
“Do you realize, thanks to you, Selene has not only betrayed our House to the Lycans, but she has killed Viktor!” Kraven’s voice had exploded into a shout.  
As one, all the members of the coven gasped.  
“She did _what?!”_ Erika was aghast.  
“The Great House may fall this night, and you are to blame!”  
Erika began to realize the full nature of this charge. “I did that for us,” she protested weakly.  
“Us? US?! You dared to think yourself worthy to be the consort of an Elder?” Kraven motioned his guards forward. “Take her.”  
“No,” Erika protested, understanding she was being taken into custody.  
“To the dungeon,” Kraven ordered. “I will be there in a moment.”  
Pleading her innocence, Erika was dragged across the hall as the entire coven gaped in astonishment.  
“Immortals of the Great House, hear me!” Kraven shouted. “Today is one of the blackest in our history. Viktor, the eldest and strongest of this house, is dead – betrayed by two who thought to betray us all to the Lycans. One of these traitors, the Lady Selene, has gone to join her Lycan masters to take up arms against us. The other, the Lady Erika, thought her crimes would not be discovered. Both shall pay for these crimes with their lives! Martial law is now declared, and will remain in effect until after Marcus has awakened. No one will leave the house. The Death Dealers will be deployed to protect the house and grounds against Lycan assault. Those of you who are capable of bearing arms must do so. Prepare yourselves to defend this ground. I shall return in a few minutes. Until then, Sorn is in charge.”  
He stalked off the floor, and the room exploded with cries of dismay and disbelief.  
In the dungeon, Erika had already been strung up, bound at the wrists with heavy chains and dangling several inches off the ground, by the time Kraven arrived. Kraven motioned the gaolers out. “Leave us,” he ordered. Without a word, the gaolers vanished.  
“My lord,” Erika wailed, as Kraven entered the cell, “I swear, I meant no betrayal.”  
“Yet you have betrayed me,” Kraven hissed. “You have betrayed this entire house! Why did you let Selene escape? Why?!”  
“Selene made her choice,” Erika answered hotly. “Even you would be forced to let her go, she could not remain among us, not with a Lycan lover.” Her expression softened, turning sad. “And then I hoped… you might finally notice me.”  
“I notice you now. And I recognize you for what you are. A traitor!”  
“I am loyal to Great House,” Erika pleaded. “I am loyal to you.”  
“No, Erika. Loyalty means you obey orders. You took matters into your own hands, and as a result, Viktor is dead and this entire house is in danger.”  
“That can’t be,” Erika protested. “Viktor is Selene’s father, she loves him like no other. She would never – ”  
Her words trailed off in mid-sentence, as Kraven’s glower told her this was no lie.  
“Selene used Viktor’s own sword to strike him down,” Kraven assured her, pulling a long dagger from his belt. “But soon she will be dead – as you will be.”  
“My lord, no, _please_ – ”  
Kraven stepped forward, brandishing the ugly blade. Not bothering to protect Erika’s body, he slashed brutally, cutting both skin and cloth indiscriminately. Erika shrieked with pain as the knife penetrated her flesh. In moments, she dangled naked and bleeding profusely, weeping tears equally from fright and pain.  
Kraven observed this for a moment, then shook his head, not satisfied with this momentary torment. He crossed the room and took up a length of heavy chain, normally used for binding immortals, forged to imprison an immortal’s strength. Holding the chain in both hands, he stood before Erika, who began to shake with fright as she realized what he meant to do.  
“Oh, no, no,” she blubbered. “Please don’t.”  
“Before you die, you shall learn what it means to betray this house,” Kraven said quietly. “You shall learn what it means to betray me.”  
“Kraven, spare me,” Erika pleaded tearfully. “Please!”  
“Call me LORD!” Kraven roared with fury. “I am your Maker and your master, girl. You will call me only by my title. You have lost the right to address me by name!”  
“My lord, I beg forgiveness,” Erika wept, her face twisting in terror.  
The cruelty in Kraven’s eyes softened only a little. “I really thought, of all this house, you were true to me,” he said somberly.  
“I am true to you,” Erika sobbed.  
“Then submit to punishment, and you may yet live.”  
He swung the chain around, almost lazily, slowly building speed with each circle. Erika screwed her eyes shut tight, sobbing with fright. Kraven gave his wrist a short, smart flick and the length of chain lashed out like a striking snake.  
Erika screamed.

The war of the immortals had been joined in earnest. The first strike had been made by the vampires. Both Kraven and Viktor had followed the Abomination, Michael Corvin, into the Lycan stronghold, with the intent of destroying him. Half vampire, half werewolf, Michael was a direct threat to both lines. The Lycans neither knew or cared about these ulterior motives. All they knew was that their leader, Lucien, had been slaughtered in cold blood, and the vampires were the cause of it. After the initial attack, the vampires had retreated; the wolves howled bloody vengeance. This night, they vowed, the Great House would fall.  
From every quarter of the old city they came. More came pouring out of the hillsides and deep country, much as the rain poured out of the angry clouds that scudded across the night sky. Usually loping on four legs, sometimes running on two, the Lycans swarmed, converging from all directions, focused on their destination: the Great House of Dunaharaszti.  
In the back streets of Budapest, Selene and Michael Corvin were desperately trying to make their way back to the Great House as well. They were forced to tack and hide several times, as angry mobs of wolves shot past them, baying and howling their fury into the rainy night. Selene led them into an alley as another group bolted past.  
“I didn’t think there were this many Lycans in the whole of the world,” Selene muttered grimly as she and Michael crouched down behind packing crates in the alley. She was trying desperately not to show how frightened she was. She knew only too well where all the wolves were heading – which meant their chances of reaching anywhere safe were dwindling by the second. Fortunately, the wolves were paying little or no attention to their surroundings, and their own scents were masked by the driving rain that was falling harder by the minute. The wolves pelted by, only paces from where they hid. Both of them froze until the baying was lost in the growl of rain and thunder. Finally, Selene nodded that it was safe for them to come out of hiding, and they slowly stood up.  
“This is crazy,” Michael said. “We’ve run for miles, but I’m not even breathing hard. I should be exhausted.”  
“Be grateful,” Selene said tersely. “We need to run many more miles yet.”  
“This weather – it’s raining, it’s cold – I’m soaking wet, and all I’m wearing is a pair of pants. I don’t even have any shoes. But I don’t feel any of it. I should be freezing to death. And my feet – they should be cut to ribbons. But they aren’t.”  
“That must be the Lycan part of you.”  
“Can't you for once give me a straight answer?” Michael’s irritation showed in his raised voice. “What’s happened to me? What have you done to me?”  
“What I had to do,” Selene shot back sharply.  
“That’s no answer!”  
“It’s the only one I have.”  
“You told me a human couldn’t survive a bite from both a vampire and a werewolf.”  
“That’s true.”  
“But I did. How do you explain that?”  
“I can’t,” Selene snarled. “And stop looking at me like I have all the answers! I can’t explain it any more than you can.”  
“That scientist – the one who was with Lucien – he did something to me. Gave me some kind of serum in an injection.”  
Selene nodded wearily. “He had some fanatical idea about… combining the bloodlines of vampires and Lycans. I think he and Lucien were trying to create a new ‘Master Race’ of immortals.”  
“And I was the guinea pig?” Michael’s eyes narrowed. “And like a good soldier, you were only there to finish me off?”  
“If I hadn’t bitten you, you would have died then!” Selene shouted. “You were Lycan when Kraven put a whole round of quicksilver into your bloodstream. Lycans are allergic to silver. You would have died,” she insisted.  
With great effort, Michael softened his voice. “So, what am I? A vampire? A werewolf? Both? Neither?”  
“I don’t know what you are,” Selene said honestly. “You’re alive.”  
Michael glared at the dark-haired vampire for a moment. Although he was angry, he had to admit to himself, he had no cause to blame Selene. She was telling the truth. She had saved his life.  
“All right,” he relented. “What do we do now?”  
“We have to get to Great House before the Lycans do.” Selene peered around the corner to make sure it was safe. She felt naked and defenseless without any weapons. And she had no idea where her car was.  
“How far is the mansion from here?” Michael asked.  
“I’m not sure,” Selene admitted. “Great House is not quite halfway between Dunaharaszti and Budapest.”  
Michael gave Selene a dubious glare. “That’s almost forty miles. We can’t possibly run that far.”  
“You’re right. Let’s steal a car.”

The night sky opened like a wound, and battering torrents of rain fell to earth. The force of the storm was such that only immortals could withstand it. In a few moments, the city streets were cleared of all human traffic. Any mortals still out at that late hour were simply forced to take shelter against the elements. Those immortals unlucky enough to be outdoors redoubled their efforts to make their destination.  
In the mansion of Great House, Kraven returned to the sepulchre. The body of the Lycan scientist, Cain, lay where it had fallen, his dark blood spilling over the tombs of the descendants of Corvinus. Kraven stared dully at the lifeless body. To think this shriveled little man – not even a full Lycan – might be responsible for the fall of Great House. Kraven grimaced. He needed time to think, and there was no time. Already, dozens of Lycans had been spotted circling the grounds. These were only the advance guard. The massed forces of the Lycan armies were en route. Once their numbers were large enough, they would attack. What to do, what to do...  
Kraven felt helpless and impotent. He needed to go to the armory, to give orders to the soldiers. And he had absolutely no idea what to say.  
He felt an indistinct rumble beneath his feet. He looked down and frowned. The sensation was almost like an earthquake. More likely it had been a clap of thunder… but even down here in the deepest catacombs, his heightened immortal senses should be able to tell the difference…  
He felt it again, stronger this time, and directly beneath his feet. It was no earthquake, or thunder either. Something was shifting the earth where he stood. Hesitantly, Kraven took a step back. His eyes widened in surprise as the cover to Marcus’ tomb began to vibrate – as if being forced upwards from underneath. Kraven stared incredulously at the rivulets of blood still slowly dripping down into the tomb.  
_No,_ he thought, his own blood running cold. _This isn’t possible…_  
There was a sickening screech of twisted metal, then an explosive crack as the cover to the tomb was literally blown off its hinges. It flew several feet in the air, and landed and spun like a gargantuan coin before clattering still. Kraven froze in horror as a blue hand, coated with fur like dark velvet, grabbed the rim of the tomb for purchase. A tall, muscled figure hoisted itself out of the darkness, with skin as black as that darkness itself.  
“Well met, my brother,” Marcus Corvinus smiled at Kraven, and he bared his fangs.

“I thought you told me I could never go back to the mansion,” Michael protested. He and Selene were speeding away from the city at clearly unsafe speeds in their newly stolen car. Several ripped wires from under the steering column were still sparking and smoking slightly from where Selene had ripped the dashboard apart with her bare hands.  
“I did,” Selene almost had to shout to be heard over the roar of the motor and the heavy, unbroken sheets of rain.  
“You said they’d kill me!”  
“That was before. You were only Lycan then.”  
“Oh, and they’ll stop to ask before they shoot me now, will they?”  
“Our only chance is to get to the armory,” Selene ignored the gibe. “We need weapons. If we can find Kahn, we have a chance.”  
“And if we can’t?”  
Selene didn’t answer. She didn’t know herself.  
They traveled in uncomfortable silence then, listening to the whine of the motor and howl of the wind and the ceaseless drumming of the rain. Selene constantly had to fight for control of the car as feverish gusts of wind threatened to overturn them. The pavement was frequently covered with patches of mud that made navigation nearly impossible. Somehow, Selene managed to keep the car more or less on the road, and inside of an hour, they pulled up short of the main gate to Great House.  
“Damn it!” Selene swore.  
“What is it?”  
“The house is in lockdown.”  
“Oh, that’s bad, is it?”  
“The gates won’t open. And there are Lycans all around us,” Selene muttered. “We can’t stop here, they’ll attack the car.”  
“In this weather?”  
“There’s a war on. It doesn’t stop for the rain.” She nudged the vehicle forward cautiously.  
“You had me worried for a minute there.”  
“Shut up and let me think.”  
“I have an idea.” Michael looked over at Selene. “Seriously.”  
“What is it?”  
“When I… I first… I don’t know what to call it. When I changed, the wolves – they backed away from me. I’m not sure why. But they did.”  
Selene nodded, remembering. In his full immortal form, the wolves had given ground to Michael. “You think they might do the same here?”  
“It looks like that’s the only way to get past the front gate. Unless you know of an easier way in.”  
“Torn to pieces by Lycans outside the gate, shot by immortals on the Great House lawn. Not the best of choices.”  
“Don’t look at me. They’re your friends.”  
Selene scowled in disagreement. “They’re no friends of mine.”  
“Oh, that’s right. I forgot. You don’t have any friends. So why do you bother to live there?”  
Selene only grimaced in reply.  
“Look – if you can make nice with the vampires inside, I’ll deal with the wolves outside.”  
“Not much of a plan.”  
“I’m still waiting for you to suggest a better one.”  
“If Kraven’s in there, he’s probably ordered the guards to kill me on sight. I don’t have any weapons.”  
“Then smile sweetly.”  
Selene glared at him furiously.  
“Or give them that look,” Michael added hastily. “That’ll work, too.”  
Selene slammed her foot on the accelerator. The car’s wheels spun in the mud, and then the vehicle lurched forward up the winding drive. Thinking she meant to ram the gate, Michael half raised himself out of his seat.  
Selene gave him an appraising look. “Can you leap the fence?”  
“I did once before,” Michael admitted, but there was no confidence in his voice.  
“Get ready,” Selene said grimly. They were now speeding up the last few feet of the drive. Michael flinched, but Selene simply gave the wheel a gentle nudge and the car spun a perfect 180 degree turn, stopping less than a foot from the metal bars. The car had barely stopped moving when the doors flew open. Selene and Michael each took a standing leap from either side of the vehicle, and even in the driving rain, cleared the gate by at least three feet.  
Selene landed on the balls of her feet and stood up quickly. Michael, still not used to his immortal powers, mistimed his landing and went sprawling face first into the wet grass. She helped him up.  
“Hurry,” she hissed. “The guards aren’t here yet, but they know we’re on the grounds.”  
“I don’t get it,” Michael said, spitting grass blades from his mouth. “What’s keeping the wolves out? They could jump these walls and the gate easily.”  
“They’re waiting for greater numbers. They’re pack animals, they’ll only attack when they have a large group.” Over the driving rain, they could hear the baying of dogs and the stamp of booted feet. Death Dealers, headed straight for them. “Come on.”  
They pelted across the lawn, sheets of rain obscuring them from anything around them. Only Selene’s memory of the grounds kept them headed in the right direction. With any luck, Selene thought grimly, the rain might buy them just enough time to get out of sight.  
She opened a service door with her passkey, giving silent thanks in great relief that it hadn’t yet been deactivated, and quickly pushed Michael inside. She slammed the door shut behind them, then bolted it.  
“So much for internal security,” she muttered under her breath.  
Michael glanced around him. They were on a wide, open floor that appeared to run the full length of the building, loosely segregated into warehouse storage and construction areas. Only the emergency lighting was on. The floor appeared to be deserted.  
“Where are we?”  
“Ground level – maintenance. The garage is the next floor below this.”  
“Where’s the armory?”  
“Two levels down, in the main wing. We’re in the east wing here.” Selene shivered, but not from cold. “We have to find Kahn. He’s our only hope of not getting shot on sight.”  
Selene turned. Michael was staring intently at her. “What is it?” she asked.  
Michael focused himself with visible effort. “Sorry. It’s just…” he hesitated, then confessed, “You’re very beautiful.”  
It seemed a totally inappropriate thing to say, and yet, in their current circumstances, Michael’s truthfulness shone, no matter how ridiculous the words might sound.  
Selene almost gave him a withering look, but then relented. “So are you,” she confessed, almost but not quite smiling. She paused, hesitant, and then almost shyly leaned over and kissed him lightly on the mouth. They stood for a moment, staring into each other’s eyes. Selene reached for Michael’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Come on,” she whispered.  
They padded across the floor, trying not to make any noise, but the water dripping off their bodies seemed to echo like drumbeats. Selene grimaced in irritation, but there was nothing for it – they had to press on. They passed a row of workshops – metal cutting equipment, tool racks, secured areas that looked like medical laboratories. There was no sign of anyone.  
“Shouldn’t there be someone on guard down here?” Michael whispered.  
“Normally, there would be,” Selene whispered back.  
“I guess with an army of Lycans outside, they’re not too worried about who’s already inside?”  
“Something like that.” She looked up at the ceiling and frowned in concern. “None of the security cameras are working.”  
“That’s good news for us,” Michael observed. “Where do we go from here?”  
“We’ll have to go through the dungeon.”  
“You have a dungeon?”  
“Doesn’t everyone?”  
Michael suppressed a shudder. “Ladies first.”  
They crept along the wall. Michael pointed out a stairwell door, silently asking if that was the intended route. Selene shook her head and instead pointed to the elevator. They approached cautiously, as the lobby formed an “L” with wide corridors at right angles, joining the east and main wings of the mansion. Selene motioned Michael to stay back, as she hugged the wall and slowly peeked around the corner. No one was in sight. Sighing with relief, she nodded to Michael, indicating the all-clear, and then sprinted for the elevator door.  
“We take an elevator to get to the dungeon?” Michael asked incredulously.  
“No. We take the shaft to the floor above it. Shh.”  
Selene pushed her fingertips in between the doors and slowly forced them open. The doors slid back noiselessly.  
“The lifts aren’t alarmed,” she whispered, then tilted her head, indicating they were to go inside. “Jump.”  
“What, down there?” Michael muttered in disbelief. “Were you a competitive bungee jumper before you became a vampire?”  
“Jump or I’ll push you!” Selene hissed.  
Michael shrugged. He knew that look already. He jumped. Selene followed directly behind.  
They landed at the base of the shaft. Michael came up on the balls of his feet this time, still surprised at his newfound strength and coordination. He glanced above them.  
“The car is several floors above us,” he noted.  
Selene nodded. “It’s going to stay that way.”  
She grabbed one of the cables mounted on the shaft wall and began pulling at it. “Help me,” she grunted.  
Michael reached out, and grabbed the cable just above where Selene held it. It was a conducting cable, at least seven inches thick and bolted securely to the walls at intervals with thick metal plates. No mortal could possibly dislodge it without power tools. Then again, Michael had to remind himself, he was no longer mortal. He was like Selene. Something more than human. Or something less?  
Grimly, Michael tightened his grip, and bracing one leg against the wall for leverage, pulled as hard as he could. For a few moments, nothing seemed to happen. Suddenly, a staccato metal pinging could be heard as six inch bolts were forcibly ejected from the concrete. A shower of sparks appeared somewhere above them. The snapped cable snaked to the floor, its torn filaments still sparking.  
“Now what?” Michael panted.  
“Now we dodge bullets. Maybe,” Selene said grimly, once again pushing her fingers between the elevator shaft doors. The doors parted slightly, and no light could be seen coming from the other side. Michael grabbed one door, Selene the other, and they pushed the doors aside.  
The corridor was black. Not even emergency lighting was on. Everything seemed very still. This corridor too, like the ones above, was apparently deserted.  
Selene allowed herself to breathe. “All right,” she whispered. “This way.”  
Once again, Michael had to marvel at his preternatural senses. He could make out every detail of the corridor in near-absolute darkness – something he could not possibly have done with mortal eyes. In spite of himself, his heart pounded with fear – not from any external threat, but what he was now able to do. Just what had he become?  
He followed Selene down the hallway, moving as soundlessly as he could manage, but Selene apparently thought little of the effort.  
“Must you make so much noise?” she hissed. “You’re an immortal. You should be able to glide over this floor without so much as a scrape.”  
“Sorry, I missed that class,” Michael hissed back angrily. “I’ve only been a werewolf for about two and a half hours.”  
“All right,” Selene relented. “Just… be as quiet as you can.”  
They reached the end of the hall, an apparent dead end. Selene knelt down, next to a large, circular metal plate mounted in the floor. The plate was cast with ornate carvings, with a single trip latch and tumbler lock.  
“Trap door?” Michael asked.  
“Service hatch,” Selene whispered. “Shh.”  
Her delicate fingers rolled over the tumblers with blinding speed. As Michael listened, he realized he could actually hear the gear wheels turning and a distinct click as each pin locked into place – again, something his human senses could never have detected.  
The last tumbler fell. Selene grabbed the latch, and pulled gently upwards. The hatch door, for all its bulk, opened silently on well-oiled hinges. The shaft below was so dark even Michael’s new senses could not penetrate.  
“Next stop, the rack, the whip and the iron maiden,” he muttered.  
“Stop whittering,” Selene hissed, and leaped into the darkness, not even urging him to follow. Michael hesitated for a moment, gritting his teeth in exasperation, then plunged after her into the darkness.  
The fall was at least three stories, Michael realized he was able to reasonably estimate distance even as he fell. He paused to wonder, what was terminal velocity to an immortal? Selene could dive off a church steeple hundreds of feet in the air, and still land on the pavement walking upright, as casually as a mortal man might descend a staircase.  
Michael looked around. He could now make out a metal ladder mounted in the wall just behind them. Opposite, lights could be seen coming from chambers just out of sight beyond the curve of the corridor. The walls were wet to the touch. The foundation was made of hewn stone, not brickwork.  
“We couldn’t have used the ladder?” Michael protested.  
Selene shook her head. “No time.” She started off down the corridor, not waiting for him to argue. Michael pelted after her, suppressing a string of expletives.  
They found themselves in a wide corridor at right angles to the first, with thick iron bars segregating cells on either side – with doors that Michael realized even his new-found strength would not be able to shift. The light was feeble, but all the cells and the corridor itself had overhead lighting turned on.  
The first five cells were empty. The last one on the left was not.  
“Oh, my God,” Michael whispered.  
Despite herself, Selene’s heart caught in her throat; and her hand flew to her mouth. She recognized the figure swaying gently back and forth a few feet off the ground, manacled in chains and covered in gore.  
“Erika,” she breathed.  
“You know her?”  
“She’s one of the Ladies of the House.”  
“Lady?” Michael frowned, not comprehending. “You mean she – ”  
“She’s royalty,” Selene brushed off a more complete explanation. “Kraven did this to her.”  
“Kraven – the elder of your coven?” Michael was desperately trying to put the pieces together. “The one who’s trying to kill you?”  
“Kraven is NOT the elder of this coven,” Selene snapped, using her normal voice for the first time since they’d entered the house. “Viktor is – ”  
She stopped abruptly, as if realizing what had happened for the first time; her eyes still on Erika, she sank to the floor, her legs seemingly cut out from under her.  
“Selene?” Michael knelt beside her, genuinely worried.  
“I killed him,” Selene whispered, almost in shock. “My father. I killed Viktor.” She drew in a ragged breath and cradled her head in her hands. “Oh my God. What have I done?” she whimpered.  
Michael found himself unnerved by this sudden frailty of Selene’s. He grabbed her gently by the shoulders, not shaking her, but intending to help her to her feet.  
“Selene, we can’t stay here,” he remonstrated. “We have to find your friend… what’s his name? Kahn?”  
“Yes. Kahn,” she answered, wiping tears from her eyes with grimy hands, still shaking with emotion but regaining control. She looked up at Erika’s still body, spinning lazily on the end of a long chain. In spite of herself, more tears spilled down her cheeks.  
“We have to get her down,” Selene declared, and accepted Michael’s assistance helping her back to her feet.  
“We can’t do anything for her now,” Michael objected. “She’s dead already. She must be.”  
“No,” Selene shook her head, tears still leaking from the corners of her eyes. “She’s like us. She can’t die so easily.”  
“What, you mean she’s still alive?” Michael stared at the bloodied body incredulously. It didn’t seem possible that a human form could survive such mutilation. He shuddered. To live through such torture - !  
They both stiffened with fright as they heard footfalls approaching. Selene, still ragged with grief, could only look at Michael helplessly, for the moment at her wit’s end.  
“Selene,” a voice hissed. Selene whirled, and with immense relief, saw it was Kahn who was motioning to her. She ran to him, and in an uncharacteristic display of emotion, wrapped her arms tightly around him and tearfully kissed him.  
“Are you all right?” he asked, when she finally released him from her embrace.  
“No,” she answered truthfully.  
“Who’s this?”  
“This is Michael. He’s a friend,” Selene explained, wiping away the last of her tears with the back of her hand. She was recovering now, becoming more like her old self. “What’s been happening here?”  
“Chaos,” Kahn muttered. “Selene, it’s not safe for you to be here. Kraven has issued termination orders for you.”  
“That’s not surprising,” Selene almost spat the words.  
“He says you betrayed us to the Lycans.”  
“That’s nonsense.”  
“He also says you killed Viktor.”  
“I did,” Selene admitted brokenly. Noting Kahn’s shocked look, she muttered, “Don’t look at me like that.”  
_“Strewth,”_ Kahn shook his head, not quite able to take it in. “If we had time, I’d ask you what happened. I’m assuming the lift sabotage was your handiwork?”  
Selene nodded.  
“I thought as much,” Kahn snorted. “Very nice. You’re lucky it was me on this wing, otherwise you’d be…” He glanced at Michael, suspiciously wrinkling his nostrils. Instantly, his gun was in his hands, pointed at the young man.  
“You brought a Lycan into the House!” he shouted.  
“He’s a friend!” Selene protested, stepping in front of Michael before Kahn could shoot, her hands raised in a gesture of pacification.  
“Selene, have you flipped? He’s a Lycan! Friend or not, if we leave this spot, every immortal in the mansion will be able to scent him. We’ll have every Death Dealer on top of us in seconds.”  
“Kahn, we’re here to help. We need weapons.”  
Kahn shook his head again, not lowering his weapon or taking his eyes off Michael. “Sorn’s men are guarding the armory. We can’t get near the place.”  
“What about your own men?”  
“We have a few spares… if we can get to them. But it won’t be easy. My men wouldn’t shoot you on sight, if you were alone or with me… but with the Lycan…” he didn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t have to.  
Selene desperately fought back against a rising tide of despair. “You have to let us help,” she pleaded. “Together, we can – ”  
“No one in this house will fight alongside a Lycan,” Kahn declared. “Not even me. Not even for you, Selene.”  
“Will you help her get away?” Michael asked.  
“What?” Kahn did not lower his sights.  
“If you won’t let us help you, will you at least help Selene to escape?”  
“Michael!” Selene cried in dismay.  
“She’s no traitor,” Michael declared. “She killed Viktor, yes, but in self-defense, and she’s been trying to protect you all along.”  
“That I believe,” Kahn assented, but he still didn’t lower the gun.  
“What do you think you’re doing?” Selene demanded of Michael.  
“Look, I have no idea what’s going on here,” he answered. “But I do know I don’t want to see you hurt. Certainly not because of me. Besides… you saved my life,” he added quietly. “Maybe I can return the favor.”  
“I’m not leaving without you,” Selene protested.  
Michael turned to Kahn. “I think I might be able to buy you some time,” he said. “The wolves… the Lycans? They’re afraid of me. I don’t know why. I can’t hold them off forever, but maybe I can slow them down long enough so your people can defend themselves… or escape to somewhere safe.”  
“And why would you do that for us?” Kahn demanded.  
“I’m not doing it for you.” Michael took Selene’s hand in his. “I’m doing it for her.”  
Kahn paused, considering. Coming to a decision, he broke the standoff by lowering his gun. “All right,” he said. “We can make it to the garage. The doors were sealed from the inside but they’re not guarded. I can raise one of the service doors manually, and you can both leave in one of the house cars. I’m sorry, Selene, but your friend is right. You stay here, you’re both dead. If the Death Dealers don’t kill you, the Lycans will. You two are the only ones both sides will be shooting at.”  
Selene’s heart sank. But she knew her friend was right.  
“I have to get Erika out of here,” she said. “Or else Kraven will kill her. If the Lycans don’t get her first.”  
“She’s no friend to you, Selene.”  
“Maybe not, but she didn’t deserve what Kraven did to her. And I’m partly to blame.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“Erika’s the one who helped me escape.”  
Kahn gave a low whistle. “Damn. I would never have conjured that, not in a million years. She hates you.”  
“She doesn’t hate me,” Selene shook her head sadly. “She just thinks I have something she wants.”  
“You’re a better person than I am, Selene. I’d’ve left her behind in a heartbeat.”  
Sounds of sporadic gunfire, muffled by the walls, interrupted them.  
“It’s started,” Kahn announced grimly. “We have to get out of here.”  
“Come with us,” Selene offered impulsively.  
Kahn shook his head. “I can’t leave now. I have to protect these people,” he answered. “Besides, if you’re ever going to be able to return someday, you’re going to need a friend here. I intend to be here, to see that happen.”  
“Thank you.” Selene smiled at him, but her heart was breaking. “Head for the garage. We’re going to get Erika out of here. We’ll be right behind you,” she assured him.  
“You’re really going to take her with you?” Kahn was incredulous.  
Selene felt a wave of uncharacteristic pity. “If she stays here, she dies. At least with us…” she halted, unsure of what to say. Finally she sighed. “She can make her own choices.”  
Kahn shrugged, clearly not agreeing, but having no time to argue. “Hurry,” he said tersely. He pulled his spare sidearm from its holster and tossed it to Selene. “Just in case,” he said, and then he disappeared around the corridor.  
Selene watched him go, again her emotions boiling to the surface. She never realized how much she cared for this man, and he might not ever know. She forced her feelings down with supreme effort. She had to function now. Feelings always get in the way…  
She turned to Michael. “Let’s get her down from there,” she said hoarsely.  
They entered the cell, and looked up, trying to see how they might release Erika from her chains. Despite Selene’s assurances to the contrary, the young vampire was indeed more dead than alive. Her soft body was a mass of ugly contusions, lacerations and deep abrasions. There didn’t seem to be an inch of Erika’s bare skin that hadn’t been broken. Her head leaned forward, swollen with purple bruises and dripping with gore, her split chin resting on her flayed chest. A large pool of blood was slowly coagulating on the floor under the girl’s dangling feet. In spite of herself, Selene felt a thrill of outrage. How dare Kraven assault her like this!  
After a hasty search of the cell, they could find no trip mechanism to lower the chain. Apparently Erika was never intended to leave the cell alive. Selene decided the chain was probably bolted into the ceiling high above them. Shaking off her revulsion, she had Michael stand beside Erika. He reached up with strong, muscular arms and gently encircled the girl's buttocks. Selene hefted the gun, and knew from its weight that the magazine was full. Only one shot would be needed to free Erika. The other rounds she would have to save, in case they were needed during their escape. Praying no one would hear the weapon, or mistake it for sounds of battle elsewhere on the grounds, Selene raised the gun until the sights were just above Erika’s bloodless hands, and then fired at the chain. The link snapped and Erika fell limply into Michael’s arms. Even that jostling did not wake her, and Selene realized the young vampire was very near to death.  
“I’ll carry her,” Michael volunteered, trying not to grimace as he shifted Erika’s dead weight in his arms. “Ugh. She’s really a mess,” he muttered, mostly for his own benefit. “How are we going to get her up that ladder?”  
“We’re not. We’re going up the stairs, the same direction Kahn went, past the guard station.”  
“Oh, we’ll just tiptoe past him, will we?”  
Selene shot him a withering look.  
They sprinted up the winding steps. Michael found himself thankful for the strength and stamina his new immortality granted him. At the first basement level, they stopped, while Selene peered around the corner. The guard station was deserted. The sounds of battle could now be clearly heard outside, so the siege had clearly drawn the sentry away from his station.  
“It sounds like a war out there,” Michael muttered.  
“That’s exactly what it is,” Selene answered grimly.  
The garage was wide and ran nearly the length of the entire east wing; almost twenty vehicles of different makes and models were stored and ready for use. As with most everywhere else they’d been, only the emergency lighting was on and most of the garage was in dark shadow. There didn’t seem to be anyone about, but Selene didn’t dare call Kahn’s name aloud, for fear of giving their location away. To her immense relief, she saw Kahn motioning to them from the far side of the garage, near the service door. A small convertible with the top up was pointed at the exit. Taking a deep breath, she sprinted across the garage floor at top speed, Michael following closely behind, Erika’s still form cradled in his arms.  
“You got me Kraven’s speedster,” Selene smiled sweetly at Kahn, as he tossed her a set of keys.  
“It’s the only one with a full tank of petrol,” he deadpanned, then nodded towards the other vehicles. Selene wrinkled her nose; she could smell the sharp vapors of gasoline rising in the air. Kahn had emptied – or at least partially emptied – the fuel tanks of the entire fleet of vehicles. He opened the passenger door, so Michael could lay Erika on the back seat.  
“Is she going to make it?” Kahn asked dubiously, looking at Erika’s mutilated form.  
“I don’t know,” Selene answered tersely. “Is there some way I can contact you later?”  
Kahn flipped a cell phone out of his coat pocket. “My private phone,” he said, handing it to her. “If I get a chance, I’ll call you.”  
“How will I know it’s you?”  
“I’ll text the word ‘daylight’ before I call. If the message doesn’t say ‘daylight’ first, it’s not from me. Don’t answer or make any calls otherwise. My number’s known, it could be traced.”  
“Thank you,” Selene answered, her voice softened by emotion, feeling that no gesture could adequately express her gratitude. “For everything.”  
She wanted desperately to say more, to do more, but there was no time. She slid into the driver’s seat, pushing the key into the ignition. Michael climbed in on the opposite side. Kahn put his hand on the switches to activate the service door.  
“I wouldn’t try to leave just yet, if I were you,” said a voice.  
Selene’s blood ran cold. The voice was not near them, and yet it was as clearly heard as if the speaker had been standing next to her ear. She exchanged a frightened look with Michael, then forced herself to glance in the rear view mirror.  
A tall, dark figure stood at the far end of the garage, framed in the light of the hallway beyond. The figure was not clothed and stood nearly seven feet in height. The skin glinted as if oiled, shiny black like the carapace of a beetle. The eyes glowed red, two burning lights in the dark silhouette.  
Selene felt her stomach twist into knots. Despite his metamorphosis, she recognized the voice only too well.  
“Marcus Corvinus,” Selene whispered to Michael. “Second of the Elders of the House.”  
“Another one… like me?” Michael gave Selene a confused look. “I thought I was the only one?”  
“I did too,” Selene shuddered.  
Suddenly, the garage was swarmed with Death Dealers. Positioning themselves behind the vehicles, they all took aim at the car with automatic weapons.  
“They won’t dare fire, not with all the spilled fuel,” Selene whispered, but all the confidence was gone from her voice.  
“Get out of the car, niece,” Marcus Corvinus commanded. “Leave your weapon on the dashboard of the car, where we can see it plainly.”  
Selene rested her head against the steering wheel in despair. There was no chance for escape, not now. Even if she turned the key and hit the accelerator, the Death Dealers would perforate the vehicle in a hail of gunfire before the tires even hit the ramp.  
Numbly, Selene placed Kahn’s pistol on the dashboard and stepped out of the car, keeping her hands raised in plain view, nodding to Michael to do the same. She caught Kahn’s gaze. He held something in his hand, something she couldn’t quite see. With a sudden flash of fear, she realized it was a cigarette lighter. There was gasoline all over the garage floor. He meant to set the entire garage ablaze to give them a chance to escape. She shook her head once, as if to say: not yet. She turned to face the Elder of her House, as some of the Death Dealers came forward to check the vehicle for other weapons.  
“Do you hear that noise outside, my lord?” she shouted at him from across the garage. “Your people are being murdered – by Lycans. Why are you not out there, protecting them? What do you want from us so badly, that you would let your own people die first?”  
“It’s not us he wants,” said Michael grimly. “He wants me.”  
Selene stared at him. “What?”  
“Your elder. Marcus. He’s changed, just as I have.” He nodded at the figure. “He’s going to kill me. He doesn’t want any others like me.”  
Marcus Corvinus strode impassively towards them. Selene felt herself shaking with fear. The elder held something in his hand, something round that dripped blood… as he came closer, she realized it was a severed head.  
“Kraven,” she whispered.  
Marcus Corvinus almost casually tossed the head at her feet. “A little present for you, niece. I trust you are not displeased.”  
Despite herself, Selene stepped back in revulsion. She hated Kraven, but this was too gruesome a fate, even for the likes of him.  
Apparently reading her thoughts, Marcus Corvinus said, “Kraven was a traitor to this House. As you suspected, he and Lucien were working together to overthrow the coven. As far as such punishments go, this was… mild.”  
Selene shuddered. She knew Marcus Corvinus spoke the truth, but she was still appalled.  
“So, this is Michael,” the elder purred, staring at the young man with undisguised malevolence. Selene sensed Michael stiffening, as if making ready to attack. Terrified, Selene threw her arm in front of Michael’s chest.  
“No,” she whispered fiercely. “He’ll kill you.”  
“He's going to do that anyway,” Michael growled, his eyes not leaving Marcus’s.  
“I have no ill will towards you, fledgling,” Marcus Corvinus spoke with intentional mockery of a soothing tone, every note of his voice positively dripping with malice. “But there can be only one capable of reigning over the great immortal houses of bat and wolf. I must confess… I did not expect to find myself like this when I woke. It is all new to me. But not unpleasant. Yet whatever was actually intended, it is done. I am so much more than I was. And I will not allow it to be undone.”  
He moved a step closer. “You spoke truly, boy. I will not tolerate any rivals. I feel… almost sorry for you.” He smiled evilly.  
They all froze as a low, keening sound penetrated even the garage. The baying of wolves. The perimeter had been breached.  
Kahn dropped his lighter.  
Instantly, a wall of flame shot up all around the exterior walls of the garage. Michael launched himself at Marcus Corvinus, his head and shoulder smashing into the dark elder’s midsection, his pale skin changing to oily black in the space of an eyeblink. The two of them landed in a heap on the floor, arms flailing, snarling and roaring with rage.  
Selene rammed her elbow into the stomach of the guard nearest to her, grabbing his automatic weapon in one fluid, practiced motion. She flipped the safety off and opened fire in an almost lazy arc, spraying a hail of bullets into the vampires at close range. Some of the guards managed to get shots off, but not before they were hit themselves, the force of the impacts throwing them backwards, their bullets firing mostly into the ceiling. Selene kept firing; she knew if she stopped even for an instant one of the militia would be open to return fire. Thick oily smoke had already filled most of the garage. It had only taken seconds to turn this entire huge space into a blazing inferno. They had only seconds before one or more of the fuel tanks ignited; they had to get out of here.  
She could not see Kahn anywhere in the confusion, but she had no time to look for him. Grimly, she fired relentlessly at anything moving, limbs, heads, writhing bloodied torsos.  
“Get out of here, Selene,” she heard Michael’s voice roaring inside her head. “Get in the car! GO! NOW!”  
Still firing, Selene tried desperately to spot Michael amid the glare and the smoke. Other Death Dealers had entered the garage, but they were firing blind, unsure of their targets. Bullets whizzed past her, scant millimeters from her face and body.  
An explosion knocked her off her feet – a car at the far end of the garage was engulfed in flame, its fuel tank ruptured, the soldiers hiding behind it now screaming in agony as they were consumed by fire. Michael and Marcus Corvinus were briefly silhouetted in the glare, each striking at the other with long, deadly talons. Blood poured from open wounds and strips of flesh hung from their chests in wide, wet ribbons. Then they were lost to view in thick black smoke.  
“MICHAEL!” Selene cried in terror, trying to scramble to her feet, but a second explosion knocked her to the floor again.  
She felt a pair of hands sliding under her armpits: it was Kahn, pulling her to her feet. Roughly, he shoved her, dazed and bleeding, into the car, its motor now running.  
“Go, Selene!” Kahn’s shouts could barely be heard above the flames and gunfire. “Go, go, GO!”  
Selene tried weakly to push herself out of the car. She would not leave without Michael, but the garage was completely enveloped in roiling smoke, and she could hardly breathe. Kahn pushed her back into the driver’s seat and slammed the car door to prevent her leaving. A third explosion, almost next to them, threw Kahn to the ground as it lifted the car off all four tires. The car bounced once, violently, and Selene saw in the rear view mirror a wall of flame rolling right towards her. The engine was still running…  
Selene threw the car into gear and slammed her foot on the accelerator. Tires shrieking in protest, the car fishtailed up the ramp. Somehow, Kahn – it must have been him – had tripped the manual override on the service door and it was rising again, but the gears screeched as the extreme heat contorted the metal out of shape even as the door opened. The car roof was shorn off on the underside of the door as it shot through, and the driver’s side door became a casualty of the side wall. A huge tower of flame exploded through the tiny space, sending acrid smoke and a huge fireball high into the air. The Death Dealers on the roof and parapets had no clear shot at the vehicle as it sped across the gravel drive; in any case, they were firing relentlessly at the swarms of Lycans who had breached the gate and were making for the mansion across the lawn. Selene kept the pedal to the floor, setting her teeth, slamming into several wolves as she reached the now open gate. The remaining Lycans gave ground; it was the house they wanted, and the speedster peeled out unimpeded onto the muddy lane. The entire east wing of the mansion was now in flames. Selene kept her eyes fixed on the road ahead, blinking back tears, no longer daring to look behind her. In moments, the house was lost to view behind the thick trees and the pelting rain.


	3. Chapter 3

_Taking Flight_

Selene brought the car to a halt in a deserted alley. She had been driving blind with panic for the better part of an hour. Now utterly exhausted, she parked in the darkest spot she could find. She had no idea where she was. It looked like she was in the middle of a warehouse district. Probably Budapest, but she could hardly say for certain. It was nearly dawn. The rain had let up, and fell now only as a fine mist. The thick cloud cover would provide some protection, but now it was time to hide from the sun. Barely able to move, Selene hoisted herself painfully out of the car, accidentally cutting her hand where she grabbed shredded metal on the twisted door frame. She cried out, and just as quickly silenced the cry, fearful that even here she might be overhead.  
Cursing under her breath, she opened the passenger door of the speeder with her other hand. Erika lay sprawled across the seat, naked and unconscious but no longer bleeding. And by some miracle, still alive.  
Selene glanced furtively around her, for the time consciously taking in her surroundings. She had parked in a lot behind several warehouses and storage facilities. Many of the buildings appeared to be long abandoned. An excellent place to hide. They would be able to lay low here, at least for a day.  
Selene turned her attention to the front passenger seat, hoping to find Kahn’s phone. The gun, she was sure, had been confiscated earlier; but there was still a chance the guards might have missed the phone. But it too was missing. She had lost her only way of contacting him.  
_“Shit!”_ she swore, furious with herself. “Stupid, stupid, _bloody_ stupid - !”  
Enraged, she lashed out blindly, putting her fist through the window. The safety glass exploded into stumpy little shards, spraying across the seat like confetti. With a cry of pain, Selene grabbed her bleeding hand and winced as she saw that most of the skin had peeled back from the knuckle.  
Momentarily surrendering to pain and despair, Selene slumped down against the side of the car, cradling her injured hand against her chest, and sobbed.  
Her instinct for self-preservation did not allow her to cry for long. Wiping her tears with her good hand, she staggered to her feet. She had to hide herself, and Erika, before either the Lycans or the Death Dealers could come looking for them.  
Extending her good hand, Selene tore part of the seat fabric to make an impromptu bandage. She examined her injured hand ruefully: a deep slice in her palm, and her bloodied knuckles, both wounds self-inflicted by carelessness and stupidity. Wrapping the cloth tightly around her hand, she managed to tie an inelegant knot with the help of her teeth.  
Then, gathering Erika in her arms, Selene stumbled to the nearest door. Every joint and muscle in her body protested in agony. Selene clenched her teeth against the pain, willing herself not to black out. She kicked the door open and ducked inside, Erika hanging limply in her arms.  
The warehouse was large, and even in her fatigue Selene could tell this building had been disused for several months, if not years. She looked around anxiously, trying to find a suitable place to hide. Several large crates, covered equally by tarpaulins and a thick layer of dust, were apparently abandoned or forgotten. Overhead, two rows of conveyor belts ran the length of the building, some twenty feet off the ground. At the far end of the warehouse was a boarded up office on the second floor, accessible only by a metal stairwell. Selene almost smiled. Perfect.  
Her strength ebbing away with every step, Selene willed herself up the stairs, Erika still cradled in her arms. More than once she swooned and nearly fell backward, but somehow she made it to the landing without falling and kicked the door in. _Thank God for cheap wooden doors,_ Selene thought grimly. The office was small, and the windows that looked out over the warehouse floor had been boarded up with planks of wood. An old desk stood in one corner, apparently too large and too heavy to remove. There was no other furniture in the tiny room, and a layer of dust coated the floor and desk.  
Selene set Erika down on one end of the desk, and wiped off the surface as best she could before laying the unconscious girl across it. Returning to the landing, Selene stumbled and nearly fell down the steps. Once on the ground floor, she grabbed the nearest of the tarpaulins, and shook the dust from it. Made from rough, coarse canvas, it was scarcely suitable as a blanket, but it was the only thing at hand. Selene dragged herself back up the stairs, leaning heavily on the railing for support. She re-entered the tiny office and closed the door behind her, praying it would look undamaged from the outside. She laid the tarp over Erika as gently as she could.  
Erika moaned softly with pain. Selene leaned over her.  
“Hush, Erika. Try to rest.”  
“Selene?” Erika murmured, without opening her eyes. “Is that you?”  
“Yes.”  
“Where are we?”  
“Someplace safe.”  
“I’m cold,” Erika complained, eyes still closed.  
“Try to sleep.”  
“We’re not in the mansion?” Erika tried to open her eyes, but even the slight shift of her head sent stabbing pains running down her spine. She grimaced and kept her eyes closed. “Where’s Kraven?”  
Selene hesitated. “He’s… not here,” she said finally.  
“Is he done hurting me?” Erika asked, anxiety cutting through her stupor.  
Selene had to bite her lower lip before answering. “Yes,” she told her. “He’s done hurting you. He won’t hurt you ever again.”  
Reassured, the tightness around Erika’s closed eyes relaxed. “Good,” she murmured, and then slipped into unconsciousness again.  
Selene was too exhausted to do anything else; she slid to the floor and curled up in a ball of abject misery.  
“Michael,” she whimpered, tears spilling from under her closed eyelids. “Oh, Michael - !”  
Selene began to cry softly, feeling nothing but agony in both body and spirit. Mercifully, her injuries robbed her of any strength, and her weeping claimed the rest; without even being aware of it, in a matter of moments, Selene had cried herself to sleep.

They spent two days and another night hidden in the warehouse, sleeping heavily, waking only when pain was greater than exhaustion. Selene lay curled up on the floor, wrapped in cold, aching misery. When awake, she shed mute tears for Michael and Viktor, the rest of the time sleeping so deep that no dreams could trouble her. Erika was only conscious for brief, uncomprehending moments before sinking back again into a near coma. Neither had fed in over two nights, and Selene knew they would have to feed soon to stay alive. Both the Lycans and the Death Dealers would be waiting and watching for them. That was assuming, of course, that members of both covens had survived. To Selene, the point was academic. Any survivors of the battle would be seeking their lives. It scarcely mattered if the immortals who sought them were vampire or Lycan.  
Selene’s hand had only partly healed while she slept. She inspected the ugly wounds ruefully, realizing if she’d only drank some fresh blood, her hand would have completely healed by now. She cursed her own stupidity, but there was nothing else to be done. On the second night, she fashioned an inelegant skeleton key from a length of copper wire, and managed to finally unlock the manacles that bound Erika’s hands together. Selene wasn’t aware how angry she was until after she had flung the handcuffs and chains out the office door, and both had sailed the full length of the warehouse floor, the cuffs embedding themselves in the far wall.  
“Serves you right,” Selene muttered aloud before closing the door behind her.  
Erika had not moved in over two days. She had scarcely opened her eyes. She too would recover far more quickly with an ample supply of fresh blood, Selene realized. The question was, where to get it? Selene weighed her options. Blood banks and hospitals would be under surveillance. The safe houses of the Great House would likewise have guards or sentries, although again there was no way of knowing if those guards were vampire or Lycan. They could feed on mortals, but as soon as any bodies were discovered, the chase would be on – and both of them were too weak to run very far or very fast. Still, they would have to come out into the open sooner or later. Selene tried to fight down the rising panic she felt knotting in her stomach.  
Finally, realizing Erika would probably not survive another night without blood, Selene gave in to the inevitable. She would feed Erika first, then she would venture out and kill. There seemed to be no other option. If she waited any longer, she would be too weak to attack any mortal and bring him down. When Erika stirred, Selene reached over and cradled Erika’s head in one arm, then gashed her free wrist with her fangs and gently pushed the wound into Erika’s mouth.  
“Drink,” she ordered gently.  
“No,” Erika tried to protest, her voice a barely audible whimper. “I can’t.”  
“Erika, you’ll die if you don’t have blood soon. My blood is stronger than any mortal’s. It will help you heal. Drink.”  
Too weak to protest further, Erika began drinking, but slowly, and without appetite. Selene felt another pang of concern. As with mortals, loss of appetite was never a good sign. Erika stopped after just barely two minutes, and she drank so little that Selene did not feel nearly as weak or giddy as she expected. However, Erika did seem to revive somewhat even after such a small amount.  
“You taste good,” Erika murmured softly, eyes still closed.  
“Hush. Drink some more.”  
“I’m not thirsty right now.” Blood bubbles foamed on Erika’s lips as she spoke. “Can I have more later?”  
“Yes, of course you can,” Selene assured her.  
Slowly, painfully, Erika opened her eyes and tried to focus them. Deciding she couldn’t yet see, she closed them again.  
“Where are we?” she asked finally.  
“In a warehouse.”  
“What happened?”  
“Lycans attacked the mansion.” Selene decided the fewer details she told, the better.  
“Kraven?”  
Selene paused. She would have to tell Erika the truth sooner or later.  
“He’s dead, Erika.”  
“Dead?” In spite of her injuries, Erika tried to raise her head; then, grimacing, gave up the effort. “How?”  
“Marcus Corvinus killed him.”  
Erika’s eyes stayed shut, but hot tears squeezed out from between her eyelids.  
Selene felt a pang of genuine pity. “I’m sorry, Erika,” she said sincerely.  
They said nothing more for a few minutes. Selene had almost decided that Erika was asleep when she spoke again.  
“But I thought Viktor was awake,” she frowned, eyes still closed, trying with some effort to piece together what she knew of events. “Kraven… he said you killed Viktor?”  
“Yes,” Selene’s answer was barely a whisper.  
“You didn’t kill him, did you? … Selene?”  
Selene closed her eyes, fighting back tears. “Yes,” she said brokenly. “Viktor is dead. I killed him.”  
The utterance was flat and lifeless. Erika feebly reached out her hand, and when Selene took it, gave a gentle squeeze. The gesture was small, but meant to comfort, and Selene did in fact find herself comforted by it.  
“We can’t go back to the mansion?” Erika asked after a time.  
"No."  
"Why not?"  
Selene swallowed hard. “It burned.”  
“Great House is gone?” Erika could scarcely believe it.  
“Yes.” Selene, who had seen it burn, had trouble believing herself.  
“We’re alone?”  
“Yes.”  
“What are we going to do?”  
“I don’t know,” was Selene’s honest answer.  
“We’re going to die, aren’t we?”  
“Not today,” Selene declared grimly.  
“I’m not wearing any clothes,” Erika murmured, fully conscious of her surroundings for the first time.  
“I’m sorry, Erika. There wasn’t time to collect any of your things.”  
Erika mulled that over, as slowly memories came back to her.  
“I was in the dungeon.”  
“Yes, you were.”  
“How did I get out?”  
“Michael, Kahn and I took you out.”  
“Are they here?”  
“No.”  
“Are they dead?” Erika asked after some hesitation.  
“I don’t know.” Selene sighed deeply, holding back the ragged edges of her grief. “Erika, we can’t stay here. We’ve been without blood for at least two days. Death Dealers – or the Lycans – have probably found the car by now. We have to assume they are hunting us. If we stay here, they’ll find us and kill us.”  
“What do you want to do?”  
“I’m going out.”  
Erika started to raise herself up in protest, then fell back as waves of agony seared her. “Don’t leave me,” she pleaded through clenched teeth.  
“Just for a little while,” Selene spoke as reassuringly as she could. “I’m going to find us some blood, and some warm clothes for you. But you have to rest while I’m gone. Once we’ve fed, we have to leave. So I need you to rest and gather your strength. You understand? I am coming back for you. I promise.”  
“All right,” Erika relented. She coughed painfully, twice, wincing as she did so. More blood bubbles formed on her lips and noiselessly popped.  
“Lay still. Rest. I’ll be back as quickly as I can.”  
Selene leaned over and stroked the girl’s hair for a moment, noting with concern that Erika’s normally golden locks had dulled to a coppery sheen, a sure sign of blood starvation. She had very little time left. With newfound resolve, Selene straightened up and moved for the door, listening intently for any sounds in the warehouse. Everything seemed perfectly still.  
Hardly daring to breathe, she slowly pushed open the office door and looked out. The broken windows in the skylight were dark. Outside it was night, but Selene had no idea what time it was. After a moment’s hesitation, she stepped out onto the landing. In the far off distance, she could hear the intermittent rumble of human activity, but nothing close by. As she stared down at the warehouse floor, she grimaced in irritation as her bootprints were plainly visible in the dust. If anyone had entered, they could have traced the two fugitives without even trying.  
Did that mean the car had not been found after all? Was there anyone even left alive to hunt them?  
Sighing heavily, Selene slowly descended the steps, listening carefully for any sounds around her. Only the muted echo of her own footfalls returned to her. Once on the warehouse floor, she looked cautiously around, then sprinted quickly for the outside door.  
The car was right where she had left it, apparently undiscovered and untouched. That was something, at least. The night sky was clear, free of both clouds and factory smoke. Light pollution from elsewhere in the city masked all but the brightest stars, but to Selene’s eyes the clear skies were a good omen.  
She slipped into the driver’s seat of the car. The keys were still in the ignition. Bemused, Selene got out and circled the car, looking around furtively. Apparently no one, mortal or immortal, had been down this alley since they first arrived. It seemed too preposterous to be true, but apparently it was so. Not sure what to make of the discovery, but not ready to trust her luck, she took the keys out of the ignition and pocketed them, then closed the doors as quietly as she could. There was no sense alerting anyone to their presence before they were ready to leave. She glanced at the fuel gauge: slightly less than a quarter of a tank. They would have to fill the tank again if they were going to travel any distance at all. The rest of the car seemed sound enough, barring the fact the driver’s side door was useless and the roof was missing. Of course there was the smashed window – Selene snarled reflexively in anger when she saw it. Amazingly, all the tires were intact – no flats. Would the car still start, Selene wondered, but she was unwilling to risk the sound of a turning motor arousing anyone’s attention. On foot, Selene padded through the alley and made her way to the street.  
She wanted desperately to know what had happened at the mansion, but there was no possibility of returning to find out – it was simply too dangerous. She and Erika would be lucky to get out of the city alive. The best way to ensure their survival was to have absolutely no contact with either vampires or Lycans.  
Selene moved cautiously through the darkened alleys, pushing ever closer to lighted streets and the sounds of mortals going to and fro. From the level of activity, she guessed it was still early in the evening. If possible, she wanted to feed well away from bright lights and crowds. If she could keep her kill a secret, even for a day, it might give her and Erika enough time to slip away. Perhaps. But where to go? Where would they be safe? The coven’s own safehouses would offer no protection; all such facilities were monitored, and if she were to trip any door with her passkey, the Death Dealers – or the Lycans – would immediately be notified to her presence. Selene slowly began to realize the enormity of their plight. Both of them had lived at Great House almost from the moment of their turning. Neither of them really knew anything else. How would they live? How would they feed? How could they protect themselves, without a coven of their own? Her heart sank further as she realized she did not know one safe place to hide that did not belong to the coven.  
Selene shook her head, fighting down panic. There was no point worrying about this now. The situation was too desperate. The future would have to take care of itself; the present had challenges enough.  
One of those challenges resolved itself quickly. A sturdy middle-aged man, reeking of drink, stumbled towards her in the darkened alley. Selene’s eyes narrowed in predatory anticipation. An office worker, from the looks of him, trying to take a shortcut home after a round of drinks – he had not seen her. She was not going to enjoy killing this man, but she was ravenous, starved for blood. And, as she had hoped, they were well away from either lights or crowds.  
She was on him in an instant, sinking her fangs deep into his throat before he had a chance to cry out. They both fell to the wet pavement, Selene sucking greedily, deliberately drinking even well after she was sated. She would have to share this kill with Erika later. The more blood she could store, the better. Still, the man might survive even this assault. She stared down into the blood-drained face, noticed the slight twitch of limbs of a body in shock, and felt a twinge of remorse.  
“Forgive me,” she whispered.  
With practiced ease, she took the man’s head in both hands, cradling it, then gave a short, violent twist. The neck snapped instantly. The twitching stopped.  
She let him down gently, still straddling him, wiping her chin. She felt the hot blood rushing through her, restoring her strength; but the acrid taste of his blood alcohol removed any possibility of enjoyment. _Why do mortals poison themselves in this way?_ she wondered. She stared into the man’s sightless eyes, silently apologizing for her unpardonable offense. Then, grimly, she shook off her stupor and began to carefully remove the man’s clothing.  
The man was certainly larger than Erika, but at least he was dressed warmly and the clothing was clean and of reasonable quality. These would have to do until they could find something else. Selene’s victim had on a nearly new, dark, long coat, a sweater underneath, a wrinkled dress shirt and slacks, shoes, socks. Selene took everything but the underclothes.  
With any luck, the man would not be missed right away. If she was clever in concealing the body, there was a chance she and Erika could be far away by the time it was discovered. The bare alleyway left her with precious few options. Finally, with great reluctance, she pushed the body into a disused coal chute, silently and sincerely apologizing to her victim for this additional indignity. Then, genuinely distressed, she gathered up the clothing and fled into the night, running from the site of her kill faster than any but immortal eyes could follow.

“So now where do we go?” Erika asked. She was sitting up on the desk, gingerly pulling on the clothes, sniffing them suspiciously but grateful to have them. Selene was pleasantly surprised that Erika accepted the clothes without complaint; she half-expected the girl to make a fuss.  
The extra blood had done its work; after her second feeding, Erika was awake, aware, her pain dulled and her blood-caked, copper-colored hair once again glistening with golden highlights – a clear sign of returning health. Her wounds were still ugly, but they had closed over; in a few days, with regular feedings, most of them would be gone. In spite of this improvement, Selene knew that Erika’s injuries were severe and she would not be able to travel very far or for very long. She needed a place to rest and heal in safety – they both did.  
“We’ll have to take the car,” Selene began.  
“But – they’ll be looking for it, won’t they?”  
“Yes, but we’re not going far in it. Just far enough to trade it in for something else.”  
“Can’t we go back to the mansion?”  
Selene sighed in irritation. “Going back to Great House is not an option,” she said bluntly, and with more anger than she intended. “The house itself is probably a gutted ruin by now. And if the Lycans were successful in their attack, then they have access to all our safe houses. Which means nowhere in Budapest is safe. Perhaps not anywhere in Eastern Europe.”  
“And if the Lycans weren't successful?”  
“Even if the Death Dealers are still in charge, Kahn is the only one who wouldn’t kill us both on sight.”  
Erika shuddered, and then grimaced as even that slight movement pained her. “But if Kraven is dead, doesn’t that change anything?”  
Selene shook her head sadly. “I killed Viktor, and there were witnesses. There are no extenuating circumstances for murdering an Elder - and only one penalty. And they would kill you, too, since you helped me escape. They’ll regard you as my accomplice.”  
“I am already,” Erika said grimly, and when Selene frowned in puzzlement, Erika explained, “Kraven denounced me as a traitor in front of the entire coven.”  
“I’m sorry.” Selene was trying hard to decide if she was truly sorry about that or not. But now was not the time to raise enmities. “Like it or not, our best chance for survival is to stick together, and get as far away from here as possible.”  
Erika thought that over. “I don’t mind,” she offered hesitantly, “If you don’t.”  
Selene fixed the younger vampire with a hard stare.  
“You don’t trust me,” Erika observed, then added sadly, “I suppose I can’t blame you.”  
“We have no one we can rely on, except each other,” Selene agreed.  
“I promise, I’ll do whatever you say,” Erika pleaded.  
“Yes, you will,” Selene said grimly. “Because if you don’t, we’ll both be dead.”

They waited a few more hours, at first unsure if they stood a better chance in early evening losing themselves in the bustle of mortal traffic, or waiting until the most innocent passerby were off the streets in case a high speed chase ensued. The choice for speed won out over stealth; the car was so badly mangled they decided it was too much of a risk being pulled over by mortal authorities.  
While they waited, they discussed their options; none of them seemed ideal. They could brave the mountains of Herzegovina to the south, and perhaps find passage across the Adriatic to Italy; many large covens were known to be there, but none of the immortals were known to them personally, and there was no guarantee that they would be welcome. Immediately to the north and east lay the formidable range of the Carpathians; again, known to be inhabited by many well-established covens, but none on good terms with Great House. Reluctantly, they agreed that their best option was to try to cross the eastern border of Austria near Bratislava; from there, they could reach Vienna and strike out for any number of major cities in Germany, Berlin and Hamburg being the most likely candidates. Erika admitted that she had spent many of her mortal years in Hamburg, so she would be helpful as a guide if they went north. They also agreed air travel was too risky until they were well inside Germany. Getting across the border would be another matter. Selene could not help sighing. Life was so much easier with a large coven to protect and prepare the way for them. But they could rely on no one but themselves now.  
It was almost two in the morning when they left their hiding place. Selene cradled Erika protectively as she limped painfully down the stairs, and Selene tried to ignore how easy and vulnerable a target they presented. They made it out of the warehouse and into the alleyway without incident, and Selene offered a silent prayer of thanks.  
“This car looks almost as bad as I do,” Erika remarked, as she gingerly wiped the broken glass from the passenger seat. “Where to first?”  
“To find another car – preferably one with a full fuel tank, and all its doors attached.” Selene also didn’t relish the thought of being completely unprotected in the driver’s seat. She turned the key in the ignition, and to her immense relief, the car started right away.  
“We’ve been here almost three days, and no one’s found us,” Erika wondered. “Maybe everyone’s too busy fighting to pay any attention to us?”  
“Maybe, but I don’t think we can count on that. When I was out last night, the mortals were about their business as usual. I think if a full scale war among the immortals had broken out on their doorstep, it would have disrupted things a little. Whatever has happened at Great House has already happened. And there’s another problem.”  
“What is it?” Erika wasn’t sure she wanted to know.  
“I made a kill, and not very far from here. As soon as the body is found, we have to assume the Death Dealers or the Lycans will be swarming all over this area looking for us.”  
“So right now, any direction is good as long as we’re moving.”  
“Something like that,” Selene agreed.  
She cautiously guided the car out of the alley, around two corners and finally into a narrow side street. She shook her head in bemusement. “I don’t remember driving around here at all,” she confessed.  
“You had your mind on other things,” Erika said simply.  
They drove slowly around the deserted streets, staring up at the buildings. As Selene had noted earlier, this was a warehouse district, with depots, packing plants and shipping centers at every turn. Forklifts and cranes were in every yard, but no cars were seen anywhere.  
As they wound their way through the narrow streets, it was obvious that not all the industry had shut down for the night. Ahead of them, beyond the nearest buildings, came the faint glow of industrial lighting and the telltale rumble of machinery. Selene drove up as close as she dared, then parked the car in the darkest part of the street she could find. She turned the motor off.  
“What are you doing?” Erika asked, not comprehending.  
“I’ll be right back.”  
“Wait! I’m coming with you,” Erika declared, unfastening her belt. However, as soon as she tried to get out of the car, she grimaced with pain and fell back in the seat. She couldn’t help crying out, but immediately covered her mouth to stifle the cry. Selene quickly sprinted to the passenger side of the car.  
“Erika, please, sit still,” Selene told her. “I think I have an idea how we’re going to get out of here. But let me see if it’s safe first.”  
“Don’t leave me,” Erika pleaded, clearly terrified that Selene might abandon her.  
Selene reached in through the open window and gave one of Erika’s hands a gentle squeeze. “I will be right back,” she assured her. “I promise.”  
Selene padded noiselessly away from the car, disappearing into the darkness. Erika leaned her head back against the seat, still frightened despite Selene’s assurances that she would not be abandoned.  
Several minutes passed and Erika’s anxiety grew. She had almost decided to brave getting out of the car again when Selene suddenly appeared as if she had materialized out of thin air.  
“You startled me,” Erika confessed.  
“I have good news,” Selene actually smiled. “I think I know how we’re getting out of the country. How would you like to go home?”  
“Home? You mean the mansion?”  
“England. London.”  
Erika’s face brightened. “Really?” Then she frowned, not understanding. “How?”  
“There’s a train just over there, loading up crates. The cargo is being taken to the airport, then airlifted to Germany, and then transferred to ship. The first port is London. According to the manifests, the shipment will arrive there two weeks from now.”  
“How does that help us?”  
“We can hide ourselves in one of the containers.”  
Erika stared at her companion, truly wondering if she’d gone mad.  
“But… we’ll suffocate,” she protested.  
“Not if we sleep through the trip.”  
Erika looked at Selene askance. “You expect us to sleep for two whole weeks straight?”  
Selene couldn’t help but smile; her younger companion had obviously never experienced an immortal sleep firsthand. “Trust me, we can do it,” she assured her. “And the thing you need most, apart from blood, is rest. With any luck, we’ll arrive safely in London, you’ll have recovered enough to be able to walk without pain, and none of our hunters will be the wiser.”  
Erika seemed unconvinced, so Selene added, “We need to get as far away from Great House as possible, as quickly as possible. This may not be ideal, but it’s our safest option. Erika, we have no papers, no passports, no money, no way to defend ourselves and no friends to help us. If we traveled on foot or even by car, we’d have to use fascination to get past every checkpoint between here and Hamburg – and that’s assuming we wouldn’t be surrounded by crowds every place we stopped. Suppose we had to run for it? How far do you think we could get?”  
Erika lowered her head sadly. “Selene, I’m sorry,” she said in a small voice. “I can’t do this.”  
Selene frowned, partly in vexation and partly in bewilderment. “Why ever not?”  
“I’m – ” Erika seemed suddenly embarrassed. “I’m claustrophobic. I can’t stand enclosed spaces.”  
Selene could not help an exasperated cry. “Oh, Erika!”  
“It’s true. When I was first turned, I was terrified, because I really thought I was going to have to sleep in a coffin for the rest of my life,” Erika confessed. “I was so relieved when I found out I didn’t have to – ”  
“Erika, you won’t even notice,” Selene protested. “In immortal sleep, you don’t even breathe. Someone could set off a car alarm right next to you, and you’d never hear it.”  
“I know, it’s stupid,” Erika admitted, ashamed. “I just – I can’t. I’m scared. That’s all.”  
“You don’t have to be afraid of a crate,” Selene tried to reassure her young companion. “Death Dealers and Lycans, you need to be afraid of them. This is nothing.”  
“I know.”  
Selene sighed in irritation. For a moment, she considered the possibility of simply leaving the girl behind and striking out on her own. If she was going to be this much bother, they might not ever leave the city alive.  
Erika seemed to sense what Selene was thinking, and terrified as she was of the possibility of crossing the expanse of the North Sea in a crate, the prospect of being abandoned by her only ally – however tenuous the alliance – was far worse.  
“I promised you, I’d do whatever you said,” Erika said haltingly. “And I will. If you think this is what we need to do, then I’ll do it. It’s just – would you mind if I slept with you? I think I won’t be as scared, as long as I’m not alone.”  
Selene stared hard at Erika for a moment, and had to remind herself that her companion was badly injured and could barely walk, let alone fend for herself. Like it or not, Selene had assumed responsibility for Erika’s welfare when she freed her from the dungeon. As much as she regretted the decision now, until Erika recovered her health and strength, she still felt an obligation to protect her – even if it was an obligation she didn’t much care for.  
“Kahn was right,” Selene muttered under her breath.  
“What did you say?”  
“Nothing,” Selene sighed. “Yes, all right, you can sleep with me – it’s safer if we stick together. Come on. Let’s find ourselves a one-way ticket to London.”  
She whirled suddenly at the sound of an approaching motor. A car came around the corner, stopping and blocking the road ahead of them, its headlights bathing the two vampires in brilliant white light.  
“Oh, shit!” Selene swore.  
“What is it?”  
“They’ve found us!”  
A bullet, fired from a semi-automatic weapon with a silencer, whizzed past Selene’s ear.  
“DOWN!” Selene yelled to Erika, as she dove across the hood of the car to reach the driver’s side. A hail of gunfire followed the first shot, spraying the front of the car. Clambering in, Selene turned the key in the ignition, praying the engine block was not damaged. She threw the vehicle in reverse and began accelerating at top speed. The wheels shrieked and smoked in protest as the car barreled backwards out of the street into the intersection. As she suspected, another car was making directly for them – the intent, no doubt, had been to trap them between two vehicles. But for a few seconds grace, Selene realized grimly, that’s exactly what would have happened. Spinning the car deftly, Selene reversed directions and now, driving forward, sped away from their pursuers as quickly as the car would manage. The pursuing vehicle gave chase, while the first car cleared the side street, tearing around the corner on two wheels.  
“Hang on, Erika,” Selene shouted as she floored the gas pedal. The car lurched forward, picking up speed. A bullet impacted on the rear window, shattering the glass; Selene pulled her head into her shoulders as several other bullets penetrated the body of the car. Erika shrieked in fright as another bullet made a round crater in the front windshield, scant inches from her face.  
Selene glanced at the new hole as irradiated fluid dripped slowly around the entry point. That answered one question, at least. Their pursuers were Lycan. One direct hit from a so-called “daylight bullet” anywhere on the body would be fatal.  
“Keep your head down,” Selene yelled. “I’m going to try to lose them.”  
Now on the deserted main streets of the city, the damaged car practically flew across the pavement, the other two cars in hot pursuit. Their pursuers had stopped firing for the moment, probably choosing to conserve their ammunition for a better shot, Selene decided.  
Sharp turns were out of question at these speeds, unless she wanted to flip the car; so Selene kept the accelerator floored, and in what seemed like only minutes, they left the bright lights of the city streets behind, screaming past smaller neighborhoods and finally undeveloped forest. Selene had no idea in which direction they were headed, but the concern was academic; in a few more minutes the car would be out of gas, and their pursuers would run them to ground.  
Selene desperately scanned the road ahead, looking for something, anything she could turn to her advantage. But the pavement was clear and surrounding them on either side were flat, featureless fields. The thickest forest appeared only on the farthest horizon.  
Inexorably, the gap between the vehicles began to close, and the first vehicle opened fire again. The hail of bullets perforated the trunk and shattered the taillights. The second round hit both back tires.  
The car began to fishtail wildly out of control. Selene grimly tried to keep the car on the road, but the force of two exploding tires destroyed any hope of equilibrium. The back end lifted, then turned. The car flipped once, twice, and bounced over the side railing. Erika screamed. The car plowed into soft, wet earth, its momentum carrying it forward across the full length of a furrowed field until the vehicle finally slammed head-on into the side of a large tree. Selene’s head snapped back, then forward, smacking viciously on the steering wheel. Erika, who was still crouched down, smacked shoulder-first into the dashboard, and then fell back onto the seat, dazed and bruised. Then all was still.  
“Oh God,” Selene groaned, gingerly putting her hand to her forehead. The skin had broken, blood was pouring down her face and already the surrounding tissue was beginning to swell. This new wound was nearly atop the nasty blow she’d received from Viktor only a few nights before, and Selene could barely open her eyes for the pain. Belatedly, she realized that had she been mortal, the collision would almost certainly have killed her. “Erika, are you all right?” she rasped.  
Erika’s only response was a cross between a moan and a choked sob.  
Selene undid her safety belt, and fell out of the car onto the wet earth. Too dazed to stand, she crawled on her belly through the muck around the back end of the car, then to the passenger’s side. Still unable to balance, Selene rested her back against the car, and used her shaking legs as fulcrums to push herself upright. Letting the car support her, she grasped the door handle and pushed the door open mostly by leaning her own dead weight against it.  
“Erika, we have to get out of here,” she gasped, grimacing with pain. “The Lycans will be here any minute!”  
Erika was still moaning, eyes closed, but her hands were blindly seeking the safety belt buckle. Praying she wouldn’t pass out, Selene leaned into the car and unfastened the belt. Smoke and flames began to lick at the front of the car, and the screech of tires off in the distance told Selene that their pursuers had stopped on the road just behind them.  
“Come on, Erika, time to go,” she urged.  
Erika weakly tried to push herself upright. Gritting her teeth, Selene reached in and helped pull Erika to her feet.  
“I can’t run,” Erika moaned.  
Selene regarded her own badly shaking legs. “That’s all right,” she assured her. “I can’t stand.”  
She turned and looked back up the rill to where the cars had stopped. Four muscular men, dressed entirely in black, were arming their automatic weapons almost leisurely, confident their prey could not escape. With a sinking heart, Selene recognized the uniforms.  
“They’re not Lycan,” she said, dismayed. “They’re Death Dealers!”  
“They’re from the coven?” Erika asked.  
“They’re using the Lycan rounds to kill their own kind!” Selene exclaimed, outraged. The use of daylight bullets by vampires to kill other vampires seemed an unpardonable betrayal. “Erika, we have to get out of here.”  
“We can’t outrun them.”  
“I know, but I’m not just going to stand here and let them walk over and shoot us! Come on!”  
Supporting each other, the two women began to hobble away from the smoking wreck. Behind them, the men had finished loading their weapons, and casually leaped over the side railing to follow them. One man, standing at the edge of the road, sighted his weapon and fired. A bullet burrowed into soft earth scant inches from Erika’s foot.  
“We’re going to die now, aren’t we?” she gasped.  
“Into the trees,” Selene panted. “They’ll provide cover.”  
“What does that matter?” Erika wailed. “They’ll just come after us.”  
“Yes,” Selene admitted. “But if they want to kill me, I intend to make them work for it.”  
The stand of trees was a small one, with less than a dozen fully mature trees and perhaps two dozen more saplings. Surrounding them in all directions was open field, and beyond, just at the edge of the horizon, lay the thicker swath of old growth forest.  
“You might still have a chance,” Selene told Erika, gasping for breath. “You’ll still royalty of the House. There’s a chance the soldiers don’t know that Kraven ordered your imprisonment. Tell them… tell them that I kidnapped you.”  
Erika stared at Selene incredulously. She had to admit, even to herself, she had done everything possible to get Selene expelled from the coven. They both knew it. Yet in spite of this, Selene was apparently willing to sacrifice herself for Erika’s sake. Why? Another bullet sliced through the foliage somewhere above them, shredding leaves. There was no time to ponder Selene’s selflessness. “I’m not leaving you,” she said with sudden conviction.  
Selene started to shake her head, but the movement caused her too much pain and she had to stop. “You must.”  
“You said our best chance was to stick together.”  
“So I did,” Selene was starting to crumple, unable to hold herself upright. “I may have been wrong about that.”  
“Then… at least we won’t be alone when we die.”  
In spite of her agony, Selene couldn’t help smiling. “You have a lot more character than your father,” she told her, leaning forward with her palms on her knees, trying desperately not to collapse entirely. “What’s taking them so long?”  
Erika decided to risk a glance from behind the tree. Hesitantly, she peeked around the wide trunk, ready to pull back at the first sound of gunfire. She made a little grunt of surprise. “Huh!”  
“What is it?” Selene asked, at this point nearly doubled over.  
“They’re not coming after us,” Erika announced.  
“What?”  
Selene was so surprised she momentarily forgot her weakness and she staggered next to Erika so she could see. On the other side of the field, the Death Dealers were piling into the cars. They slammed the doors shut and gunned the engines. For a brief moment, Selene thought they meant to drive across the field. But to her bemusement, the cars u-turned on the road and then sped away, back in the direction from which they had come.  
“I don’t understand,” Erika shook her head. “All they had to do was walk over here and shoot us. Why did they let us go?”  
Selene frowned. “I think I know why.” She pointed overhead. “Look.”  
Erika shuddered at the lightening sky. “It’s dawn.”  
“Yes – and we’re on open ground. They must not have had any protective gear in the car, or they would have come after us.”  
“So they’re hoping the sun will finish us off?”  
“I wouldn’t count on that. They’ll be back – once they’re properly equipped. They know we’re hurt and can’t get too far from here. Even if we dig ourselves a grave, all they have to do is track us to our resting place and haul us out into the open. The sun will do the rest.” Selene looked around frantically. “There’s not a lot of cover out here.”  
“What are we going to do?”  
Selene scanned the horizon. The tree line was a considerable distance from where they stood. There was no point hiding where they were; it would be the first place the Death Dealers would resume their search.  
“The forest,” she nodded and pointed.  
“We’ll never make it,” Erika said despairingly.  
“We have to try. We need more cover than this little stand of trees.”  
Selene saw that Erika was about to protest. “They don’t think we can make it that far, Erika. They won’t be looking for us there – at least, not to start. We might be just lucky enough to stay hidden for a day.”  
“You didn’t mean what you just said, did you?” Erika asked. “About… digging ourselves a grave?”  
“Every word,” Selene assured her grimly.  
The women set off, limping painfully across the meadow with the best speed they could manage. Even so, the trees still seemed far in the distance and the sky grew lighter with every step. Erika lagged behind, obviously in acute pain. Selene grimaced. The girl’s injuries had no time to properly heal. Her own injuries were not much better. Still, if they stopped, they would die.  
“Ignore what you feel,” Selene shouted at Erika. “Keep going!”  
Grimly, Erika obeyed, unable to keep pace with Selene but making for the trees with nothing but determination.  
They made the tree line with only moments to spare. Selene insisted that they press on through the wood, to get as far away from the open meadow as possible before stopping. They finally collapsed near a grove of mature trees, with rills and dells that would provide temporary camouflage for any newly-dug earthen mounds. Panting heavily, Erika fell on her elbows and knees, in too much pain to even cry out.  
Selene felt badly for her, but she too was exhausted and hurt, and they still had to dig themselves a shelter. Gasping for breath, she knelt in the soft earth and began sinking her fingers into the ground. The dirt was damp but easily turned. Selene made a silent prayer of thanksgiving.  
“Help me,” she called to Erika.  
Erika looked up, her face a mask of pain and fear. “I can’t,” she said finally. “I can’t do this.”  
“Of course you can,” Selene rebuked her sharply. “Many of our ancestors lived their entire lives this way.”  
Erika made a helpless gesture and didn’t move. Selene’s eyes narrowed; this was more than mere discomfort or repugnance that the girl was feeling. She was genuinely terrified at the prospect of being buried alive. But the morning sun would strike through the trees within moments, not minutes. There was no time for the luxury of being squeamish.  
“Erika!” Selene barked. “Do you _want_ to die?”  
“No,” Erika whimpered.  
“Then get over here and help me. Dig like your life depends on it, because it does!”  
Erika swallowed hard; then, shaking visibly, she crawled forward, still on elbows and knees, until she was next to Selene. She sank one hand into the damp earth.  
“It’s cold,” she whimpered. “And wet.”  
“It will keep us alive,” Selene told her firmly.  
Erika overturned the first handful of earth with complete revulsion. Taking a deep breath, she began to rake at the ground, almost frantically, unable to completely suppress small whimpers of fear as she dug. Selene worked alongside with more efficiency and industry; between the two, they managed to excavate a shallow plot in a few short moments.  
Selene glanced upwards. The sky above was now azure blue, and the first bright, burning rays of the sun started to wink through the lazily shifting canopy of leaves. For a moment, the sight transfixed her; she had not seen direct sunlight since she was mortal. Then her instinct for self-preservation kicked in and forced her to work. Selene realized with a shudder that if she and Erika had been out in the open, along the fields, they would be dead already.  
“Lay down,” Selene ordered. “Pull your coat up high, so you can cover your face. I’ll bury us both.”  
“I can’t,” Erika protested, openly sobbing now. “I can’t.”  
“You must,” Selene answered firmly, and then added in a gentler tone, “Just lay still and I’ll do the rest. Don’t think about what’s happening. We’re going to be all right.”  
Erika obeyed reluctantly, first sitting; then, with all limbs shaking violently, she finally lay prone in the dank earth. She drew in sharp, panicked breaths between choked sobs. Despite her desperation, Selene felt a pang of sympathy for Erika. Whatever the reason, this was not merely uncomfortable for the young immortal, it was traumatizing. But like it or not, they would both lay in the earth this day. Neither would survive otherwise.  
“Roll in towards me,” Selene instructed Erika as she sat down beside her. “You can hold onto me. I’ll be right beside you the whole time. I’m going to cover our legs first…”  
Erika could not suppress a moan of pure terror, followed by more sobs.  
“Erika, listen to me,” Selene spoke in her softest, most soothing voice. “Hush. Try to imagine you’re at home – ”  
“H-home?” Erika quavered.  
“Home. In the mansion, in your private chambers, safe in your own bed. Surrounded by all your fine things and lovely clothes. All I’m doing…” she raked the first layer of dirt over their legs and feet – “Is pulling a blanket up over us. We’re tired. We’re going to rest.”  
“Oh my God, it’s cold,” Erika moaned.  
“We’ll soon be warm,” Selene assured her, bringing another layer of dirt up to mid-thigh. “The sun will bake the ground and help us sleep. Just keep thinking about your own room, and your own bed. Fix them in your mind, know that’s where you are. Imagine you’ve just had a perfect evening out with friends. You had a wonderful night, but now you’re tired and you’re going to sleep.”  
Erika didn’t answer, but her sobbing had stopped. Her breathing was still broken and ragged, but closer to a regular tempo. Selene had buried them enough where she could now lay back and cover their upper bodies and faces. She pushed the damp earth around so she pull it in on top of them.  
“Put your head on my breast,” Selene murmured, and Erika instantly obeyed, pressing against her companion in sheer terror. “I’m just going to pull our blanket up over our heads.”  
“Oh my God,” Erika whimpered softly. “Omigod omigod omigod.”  
“It’s all right, it’s all right,” Selene assured her, pulling dirt around the back of Erika’s head, but not covering it yet. “It’s cold now, but we’ll be warm soon. We’ll be side by side the whole time. I will be with you all day, Erika, right next to you, I promise.”  
Erika snuggled next to Selene, pushing her face into Selene’s breast. Selene pushed the dirt over the young vampire’s head and onto her own chest. Then, wishing she had a hooded cloak of her own, Selene pulled the last of the dirt in on top of her own face. Satisfied that they were safe from sunlight, she pushed her arm through the soft earth alongside Erika’s shaking body and pulled the girl tightly to her. Their only hope was Erika wouldn’t panic and try to free herself. Selene could already feel the heat of the sun striking the thin layer of earth that shielded them. Just in time, she thought grimly.  
As the earth warmed in the sun, Erika’s tremors slowly subsided and her breathing became deep and regular. _Ah, that’s better,_ Selene thought with great relief, and then fell fast asleep without even realizing it.


	4. Chapter 4

_Daniel_

The sun was low, but had not yet set, when Erika frantically clawed her way up from the earth, no longer able to contain her claustrophobic panic. The arbor was secluded in deep shadow, but the sky overhead burned deep orange, reflected from the sun just beyond the tree line. Erika scraped the mud and caked earth from her coat and body with little grunts and shrieks, disgust mingled with terror. She was still stamping around, alternately moaning and sobbing, as Selene dug her own way to the surface.  
Noticing daylight, Selene froze for a moment, until she realized the last of the direct rays of the sun were well gone. It was nearly dusk. Sighing with relief, she struggled to pull herself free of the muck.  
With some effort, she managed to crawl out of the pit – now more mud than dirt – and assessed her own appearance ruefully. Her uniform was caked with grime, as were her boots. She put a hand to her face and it came away thick with viscous brown mud. The smell of peat and moldering humus was almost overpowering in her nostrils. She was wet through, and cold; and she had been awakened far earlier than she’d hoped. She was about to allow herself the luxury of a foul mood, until she caught sight of Erika, now collapsed on a nearby stump, huddled in a miserable ball and shaking violently. She felt an instinctive pang of sympathy, but she knew they had to get moving quickly, before Erika became completely catatonic. And the Death Dealers would be looking for them soon, if they weren’t already.  
She took a few moments to scrape the heaviest clots of caked mud from her uniform and boots, and then stood in front of Erika, who did not look up.  
“Erika?” Selene called to the girl gently.  
“I nuh-NEVER want to do that again,” Erika declared in a low voice that was close to breaking.  
“It wasn’t very pleasant, was it?” Selene admitted. “But we’re alive. We survived the daylight. They didn’t find us.”  
“I wish I had died,” Erika cried bitterly.  
Selene paused. She was torn between a natural impulse to comfort the girl and a pragmatic need to get them traveling as quickly as possible. If she tried to comfort Erika in this state, she might go under completely. That would never do.  
“Erika. Look at me,” Selene said softly, and when Erika did not respond, she repeated the command. “I said, look at me.”  
Hesitantly, Erika lifted her head. The girl’s lovely round face was caked with mud. Dark circles showed plainly under her swollen eyes, which were still wide with terror, and she was shaking with both fear and anger.  
“This is all _your_ fault,” Erika hissed.  
“My fault?” Selene frowned.  
“You did this to me!”  
“Did _what_ to you?”  
“This!” Erika shrieked, rising to her feet. “Look at me! Look at me – tell me – what am I? I’m not even a human being any more!”  
She began sobbing as she yelled. “I’m sleeping in mud, I have to drink blood to stay alive, and I can never see the sun again – I’m a vampire because of you! And don’t give me that disgusted look like it’s a dirty word. Vampire, vampire, _vampire!”_ she screamed. “All because Kraven wanted you, and he couldn’t have you, so he turned me instead!”  
“I never wanted anything to do with Kraven!” Selene shouted, trying with difficulty to control her own temper.  
“No, but he wanted you!” Erika shouted back. “He was all I had, and he wanted YOU!”  
“I did everything I could to discourage him! What else was I supposed to have done, Erika? Tell me that!”  
“None of this would ever have happened to me if it weren’t for you! I wouldn’t have been strung up and whipped with a chain – I wouldn’t have to be buried alive – I wouldn’t have soldiers shooting at me! I would still be alive – I would still be with my family – ”  
Unable to continue, Erika collapsed onto the ground and began to cry with great, heartbroken sobs for which there was no comfort.  
“I haven’t seen my mum or dad in six years,” she sobbed piteously. “I miss them so much – I –”  
Erika shriveled up into a ball, weeping. Selene stood as if frozen, shocked and hurt. She had long ago suspected the real reason for Erika’s turning, but had refused to admit it, even to herself. Although she knew she wasn’t truly at fault, Erika’s words still wounded her deeply. Silently, Selene vowed to herself that this was something she would have to put right.  
She knelt beside the sobbing girl, cupped her hand under her chin, and gently but firmly pulled her head up to meet her gaze.  
“We need to leave,” Selene spoke as evenly and calmly as she could. “We have to find a way out of this forest. We have to find someplace where we can clean ourselves up and hide from the sun. You don’t want to spend another day like this last one, do you?”  
Erika shook her head emphatically, tears spilling down her filthy cheeks.  
“All right then. We need to get moving. For all we know, the Death Dealers are combing these woods looking for us right now.”  
Erika stiffened with fear; she had momentarily forgotten about their pursuers. The sound of their argument would carry a long distance in the quiet wood.  
“Give me your hand.” Selene held out hers, and Erika gripped it tightly. With one gentle pull, Selene brought the younger girl to her feet. “The walk will warm us. Soon you won’t feel so cold.”  
They traveled in glum silence. The air was damp and cold, but there were no clouds in the sky. The moon rose, traveled with them for a feeble distance, then sank again. The stars wheeled lazily overhead. There was no sign they were being followed, but Selene was certain they had not yet shaken off their pursuers. At midnight, Selene stalked and snared two rabbits, catching them in her bare hands, snapping their necks instantly, moving with a preternatural speed no human or animal could match. She drank one dry, and gave the other to Erika, who considered it with revulsion.  
“You’re not hungry?” Selene asked.  
“I’m starving,” Erika admitted. “But… I haven’t… I never…”  
Selene frowned, not sure if she should be sympathetic or appalled. “You’ve _never_ taken blood from a living creature?”  
Erika shook her head. “Right after he turned me, Kraven brought me to Great House…” her voice trailed off.  
Selene sighed, still struggling between pity and disgust. She was tramping about in the wilderness with a vampire who, for her entire immortal existence, had demurely sipped blood from a champagne glass. She had no instinct for killing. Left to her own devices, Erika would undoubtedly starve to death in a matter of days.  
After some gentle insistence from Selene, Erika screwed her eyes shut and bit deep into the animal’s fur. Instinctual hunger took care of the rest, but Erika was still revolted at having to feed in such a manner. Selene said nothing, watching her companion drink in grim silence.  
They resumed their silent march, each lost in dark, gloomy thoughts of her own. They passed miles of uncut forest, without any sign of mortal habitation. Even Selene was surprised to find a wilderness this expansive, so close to the city. They traveled most of the night without any sign of human or immortal presence.  
Erika lagged further and further behind. Clearly exhausted, she was doing her best to keep pace with Selene, whose own anger and irritation fueled her long strides. Almost hobbling, Erika stumbled once, then twice, barely able to lift her feet. The third time she went sprawling. Selene stopped, retraced her steps and helped the girl to her feet.  
“We’ll rest here a few minutes,” she said quietly, brushing Erika off and helping her to sit on a nearby log.  
“I’m sorry,” Erika apologized, feeling cold, tired and utterly worthless. “I’m holding you up.”  
“It’s all right. We should have stopped to rest a long time ago.”  
They sat in silence then, catching their breath. Selene herself was breathing hard; she realized ruefully that Erika’s words had upset her more than she was willing to admit, and in consequence she was forcing much too fast a pace for both of them. She vowed to set out at more deliberate speed when they resumed.  
Erika drew in her legs, and as she did so, she grimaced with pain. Selene frowned. “Let me see your feet.”  
Erika looked as if she was about to protest, but then hung her head, and painfully extended her legs. Selene knelt down in front of her and instantly realized that the dress shoes Erika was wearing were definitely not the right size for her feet. They had been large enough to slip on, but that scarcely made for a comfortable fit. Inwardly, Selene cursed herself for her own oversight. Of course Erika would have trouble walking in shoes that did not fit her.  
Selene felt a further pang of dismay as she saw that Erika’s ankles were badly swollen, and some of the deeper lacerations on her lower legs had opened up again. As carefully as she could, she slipped one of the girl’s shoes off her foot. Her heel and outside facing toes were covered in large, painful blisters.  
“Erika, why didn’t you say anything?” Selene demanded, anguished that her own carelessness had contributed to the girl’s injuries.  
“I’m sorry,” Erika apologized again, all shame and self-recrimination. “It’s my fault. I was trying not to slow you down.”  
Selene pushed away her own irritation and impatience, realizing she had contributed to the situation. There was nothing to be done about it now, except to try to ensure it wouldn’t happen again. From where she knelt, she took both of Erika’s hands in hers.  
“Erika, we have a long way to go. If you’re tired, or hurt, or need help, I expect you to tell me,” Selene insisted gently. “If we’re going to get out of this mess together, I’m going to need your help, and that means I need you rested and strong, not hurt and hobbling. All right?”  
Erika bobbed her head, fighting back tears. “Okay.”  
“Leave your shoes off for now. The cold air will numb them a bit. I’ll try to pick the softest path I can find. We’ll walk slowly so it won’t hurt so much.”  
“Selene?”  
“Yes?”  
Erika swallowed hard. “I’m sorry – for what I said to you earlier. It’s really not your fault. I know that. I’m sorry.”  
“It’s all right, Erika.”  
“It’s not all right. I said some really mean things to you. I’m sorry I said it. I would take it back if I could. Please don’t be mad.”  
“I’m not angry with you.” Selene knew this was a lie, but there were more pressing concerns at the moment than her candor.  
“You’re not to blame. It was just Kraven. All Kraven. The only times he ever touched me was to hurt me,” Erika confessed. “But – he was all that I had,” she said, pleading for understanding.  
“I know, Erika,” Selene said gently, thinking of her own relationship with Viktor. “Really. I know.”  
“Selene – I know we haven’t always been friends – ”  
“Erika, hush.” Selene’s command was gentle as she could make it. She reached up and smoothed back the girl’s tangled, matted hair – so dirty it was impossible to tell its true color. “I can’t pretend to know how awful the last few days have been for you. You don’t deserve what happened to you, we both know that. Kraven did some terrible things to you. You know he did,” Selene insisted gently, as Erika’s head hung even lower. “But that’s all over now.”  
More mute tears spilled down Erika’s cheeks. Finally, she sighed deeply and wiped her face off as best she could with her hands and coat sleeves.  
“Selene, I’m going to try to be a better friend to you from now on,” Erika declared in a broken voice. “And I promise, I will never raise my voice to you like that again. Not ever.”  
Selene nodded; she could accept that. “All right,” she agreed, and gave Erika an encouraging smile. “We’ll rest a few minutes longer, and then we really have to get moving. We’ve got to find shelter before sunrise, so the further we can travel, the better our chances.”  
“Do you think the Death Dealers are still looking for us?”  
“Yes, I do. Don’t you?”  
They set out a few minutes later, moving much more slowly this time, Erika carrying her shoes in one hand by the laces. After a few minutes travel, they came across a gentle stream. They gratefully washed their faces in the cold, clear water, and began wiping away as much of the mud that caked their bodies as they could. Erika let her feet dangle in the water as she wiped the mud from her hands, face and coat; the chill of the water numbed her feet and Selene nodded in approval, it would help the girl travel more easily.  
They set out again a few minutes later, feeling refreshed; and about an hour before dawn, they came across a low wire fence, and cultivated crops beyond. Selene didn’t know the variety. Her knowledge of crops and farms was two hundred years distant from this time. Still, there were no buildings or any other evidence of dwelling. Selene forced herself to smile at Erika, and Erika smiled back. There was still hope they would not have to spend another night in the damp earth.  
As they walked, the sky began to lighten – from blue-black to bruised purple, then the first tendrils of orange and pink appeared at the farthest horizon. Erika shivered. Just then, Selene stopped short, and pointed.  
Two small buildings, both obviously dwellings, appeared in the next rill. Smoke curled sluggishly from the larger building, although no lights were visible in any window. The buildings were surrounded by what appeared to be a small orchard of some dozen fruit trees, modest flower beds and a vegetable plot. The women exchanged hopeful glances and set off down the hill.  
The vegetable plot was nearest to the edge of the hillside, and as the two advanced, it was clear there was movement in the plot. Human movement. Selene frowned. She knew it was not uncommon for gardeners to start work right at dawn, but she still felt uneasy. She shrugged at Erika, indicating that they should keep going. But they slowed their pace cautiously.  
The rustling came from directly ahead of them. No mistake, there was a man, a human, down on his hands and knees, apparently searching for something. There was a feeble glint of light near the man’s hand. He was carrying a small electric torch, but with a filter to keep most of the light masked. The man paused, as if sensing their presence, and then straightened up.  
If he was startled, he did not show it; he turned off the torch and pocketed it, and dusted his overalls casually, although in this light it certainly wouldn’t have been possible for him to see any dirt – again, Selene cautioned herself, if he was mortal. Or perhaps he brushed himself off from habit – or nervousness? She took in a deep breath. His scent was mortal. Neither Lycan or vampire, at least.  
The man looked over his two visitors appraisingly in the gathering light. “Good morning,” he said politely, in a soft, deep voice.  
“Good morning,” Selene answered cautiously, not sure how much she should say.  
“Are you ... looking for shelter?”  
Selene stole a furtive glance at the eastern horizon. Daylight was only a few minutes off, if that.  
“Yes, we are,” she admitted.  
The man studied them for a moment more, and then, apparently coming to a decision, nodded. “Come up to the house. The sun won’t bother you there.”  
Neither Selene nor Erika could hide their surprise. Erika’s jaw fairly dropped in amazement.  
“You – know what we are?” she asked hesitantly.  
“Travelers,” the man said simply and not evasively. “Looking for shelter. Please. Come up to the house.”  
Selene and Erika exchanged a troubled glance. If this man knew what they were, how could he be so casual? Unless he was a hunter, and this was some sort of trap? But no, that made no sense. Whatever the man’s reaction, he was what he appeared to be – a farmer. And one whose trade was crops, not livestock. There was no scent of blood on him, animal or otherwise.  
Another quick glance at horizon made Selene’s decision. They couldn’t afford to wait any longer to avoid the sun. Trap or not, they would have to go indoors. She nodded to the man, indicating he should lead the way.  
The man turned, bent over slightly, and picked up a large silver pail.  
“Worms,” he explained aloud. “Eating my tomato vines. Heavy rains have been bringing them out. Best time to look for them is just before dawn.”  
He paused, catching another fat, wriggling worm between his thumb and forefinger. The worm, heavy and gorged on leaves, struck the bottom of the pail with a musical thunk.  
Without another word, the man set off for the house. Selene wordlessly nodded her assent to Erika that they should follow, and the three of them crossed the orchard.  
The property was divided into a large, sprawling farmhouse and a smaller cottage. A thick grass lawn covered the bulk of the grounds before the orchard, and small flower beds and pots were festooned everywhere. Both buildings were centuries old, made of stone and long split logs for beams. They had been recently refurbished, with modern windows, and the farmhouse had a cement porch that served as a back patio. Both looked comfortable.  
“My name is Daniel,” the man introduced himself as he sat the pail down by the back door. He pushed the door open, which apparently was not locked. “Please go in. You are welcome in my house.”  
Selene frowned, not sure if the man was joking or not. Perhaps he’d heard the old rumor that vampires could only enter a dwelling if invited; perhaps he even believed it to be true. It was impossible to tell. That worried her; because of her fatigue she was unable to judge such things quickly and clearly. She tried to listen for his heartbeat, to see if the man was frightened; but her senses were so dulled she couldn’t make it out.  
They found themselves in a large, comfortable kitchen with a floor and fireplace made of stone. The kitchen had been modernized with several appliances, but none of them were in use. Even the electric lights were off. The only light came what remained of a fire in the grate; the cherry red coals cast a ruddy glow about the room. This was apparently the main room of the house; it was almost as long and wide as the house itself, although doors to one side and behind hinted to rooms beyond. The room smelled faintly of beeswax, lemon and burning wood.  
The young man who called himself Daniel closed the door behind them, then drew the heavy curtains of two small windows that faced the orchard. He walked into the next room and they could hear the sound of drapes being pulled.  
“There,” Daniel said as he came back into the kitchen. “This whole side of the house is free from sun, so you don’t need to worry. The drapes are heavy and will keep all the light out. The spare bedroom is through there – ” he indicated the room from which he had just come – “and there is an adjoining bath. There’s no window in the bathroom.”  
Selene stared at the young man, trying desperately to size him up through her fatigue-dulled senses. He was probably in his early thirties, with a strong, muscular build and an open, kindly face. Realizing they had already made the decision to trust him, Selene gave up trying to read him. If he intended them harm, there was nothing they could do but try to fight.  
“Thank you,” Selene answered numbly.  
“What are you staring at?” Erika asked, not in irritation but curiosity. Selene noted the young man’s gaze was particularly drawn to Erika; surely it wasn’t simply because he knew her to be a vampire?  
“Ah… nothing. Forgive me. If you'll pardon my saying so, you both look exhausted. I think you will want to go to sleep very soon, if not immediately. Make yourselves at home. I have work to do in the orchard this morning, but it’s quiet work, it won’t disturb you. No one else will enter the house, and I’ll keep all the curtains drawn so you can move about freely. I’ll see what I can do about finding some clean clothing for you.”  
Daniel disappeared for a moment, and sounds emerged from the far room, sounds of rummaging through a chest of drawers. He returned a few moments later, with an armload of sweatshirts, sweatpants, athletic socks and undershirts.  
“I realize these aren’t very elegant,” he apologized, handing the pile of clothes to Erika, who was too bemused to do anything but mutely accept them. “But they’re clean and warm and should keep you comfortable. If you’ll leave your traveling clothes on the kitchen table, I’ll see about getting them cleaned. Please. Relax in comfort. You have nothing to fear here. And now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a few more worms to catch.”  
With that, the young man left abruptly, shutting the door quickly behind him. The searing glow of early morning sunlight flashed briefly in the doorframe before it shut.  
“This is too weird,” Erika shuddered.  
“His reaction to us was definitely odd,” Selene agreed.  
They crossed the kitchen and peered inside the bedroom. The room was small. A large, oversize bed took up nearly all of the floor space. The bed was covered with blankets and quilts and several large pillows. A large dresser of dark maple wood stood against the wall; between it and the bed there was barely room to move. The curtains of the single small window were drawn, and a heavy drape blotted out all sunlight. A small electric lamp atop the dresser made a feeble pool of light in the otherwise dark room.  
A dark doorframe opposite was apparently the entrance to the bath. Erika ran her hand along the inside wall, feeling for a light switch. Finding one, she pushed it gently and an overhead light came on, revealing a small bathroom with toilet, sink and mirror, and a large, deep oval bathtub. The tub took almost as much space in the bath as the bed did in the bedroom. Several large, fluffy towels and cakes of soap were draped over the tub and sink alike. Both rooms, Selene noted, were spotlessly clean and well-kept.  
“It’s nice, isn’t it?” Erika echoed Selene’s surprise with her question.  
“Yes, it is,” Selene admitted.  
Erika caught sight of herself in the mirror. “Selene,” she said quietly, “Come look.”  
“I don’t want to look at myself right now,” Selene muttered in disgust.  
“Then look at me.” Erika pulled at the lapels of her too-large coat; despite her attempts to clean it, the fabric was still heavily caked with mud and blood. “He knows what we are,” she hissed fearfully. “There’s no way he couldn’t!”  
“Erika – ”  
“For God’s sake, we look like something that just walked out of a grave!”  
Selene put a hand to her temple, closing her eyes in a moue of fatigue and irritation. Erika was right, but she wanted neither to talk or argue about it now.  
“So what’s he going to do?” Erika insisted. “Wait until we’re asleep and then stake us?”  
“I doubt it. He’s not a hunter, that much is certain.”  
“Maybe he’ll just pull the drapes and watch us sizzle. Or maybe he’ll call the police.”  
“I didn’t see a phone in the kitchen.” Selene grimaced again, trying to force her mind and senses to function. She was so tired she could barely move, let alone think.  
Erika hesitated, considering saying more, but then decided to let the matter drop; they were both too tired and bickering was pointless.  
“What are we going to do?” she asked.  
“Take a bath, then sleep. We’ll worry about Daniel when and if we have to.”  
“Oh.” Erika didn’t seem entirely comfortable with that answer, but she had already decided against further protest. “In that case… do you want to go first, or…?”  
“Go ahead,” Selene gave a half-hearted wave in the direction of the bathroom. “I need to sit for a minute.”  
Erika waited for a moment, as if expecting Selene to change her mind, and then turned and padded into the bathroom, although she did not close the door behind her. Selene gave her own appearance a cursory examination, and found herself to be utterly filthy; taking a spare towel, she laid it across the bed so she could sit without leaving mud stains on the bedclothes.  
Erika gingerly peeled off her stolen clothes, shrugging out of the coat – which was now ruined – and then the dress shirt, and to her dismay, she saw that her arms and torso were still criss-crossed with deep, ugly wounds that had scarcely healed over. Somberly, she stripped off the slacks and found the scarring on her legs to be even worse. She collapsed in a heap at the edge of the tub and began to cry softly.  
Selene got up, although the movement caused her considerable pain, and came to the door. “What’s the matter?”  
“I think… I’m going to have a lot of scars… aren’t I?” Erika asked, her voice shaking.  
“Let me see,” Selene said gently.  
Reluctantly, Erika stood up and extended her arms. Satisfied, Selene nodded her head. “Those will go away.”  
“Really?” Erika seemed skeptical, but wanting to believe.  
“You just need a stomach full of blood, that’s all.”  
“Are you sure?”  
Selene gave Erika a reassuring smile. “Erika, I’ve been clawed and mauled by Lycans more times than I can count. How many scars do you think I have?”  
“I’ve never seen any scars on you,” Erika admitted, then added shyly, “But… I’ve never seen you naked.”  
“I do have scars,” Selene admitted. “But I’ve also had hundreds of wounds that healed without trace.”  
“Really?” Erika seemed heartened. “So… these will go away?”  
“I know they look bad now, Erika, but yes, they will.”  
“You’re sure?”  
“I’m sure.”  
Selene wasn’t sure if Erika’s concern was merely vanity, but her intuition told her no. Still, she reflected, she found herself slightly less attractive with each new scar she acquired. She could hardly blame Erika for feeling the same.  
“Go on, take your bath,” she told her gently. “We’ll talk later.”

Selene lay on the bed unmoving, stretched out, exhausted. Behind the door, she could hear Erika splashing happily in the bath. She smiled with a mixture of ruefulness and envy. Erika was still a very young immortal, she reflected, with her ties and comforts still very much of the mortal world. She had been turned barely five years ago, and at the time of her turning, was only in her early twenties. Between her mortal and immortal lives, she was not yet thirty. And from the time of her turning, Erika had lived exclusively within the walls of Great House. In many ways, Erika hardly seemed like an immortal at all. She knew virtually nothing of the lifestyle of which the older immortals knew nothing else… hunting and killing humans, for food or for sport, or sleeping in earth… Erika even used the word “vampire” openly, to describe both herself and others like her. Immortals almost never called themselves by that unflattering nickname.  
Selene almost laughed. It was so ridiculous, those myths that were almost universally embraced about her kind – that they could change their shape, or fly, or that they possessed the strength of dozens of mortals – only that last was even close to being true, and even that was exaggerated beyond all sense. Perhaps most ridiculous of all was the “truth” that vampires cast no reflection in glass. She could disprove that with a moment’s glance into the bathroom mirror, if she had any desire to see if she looked as bad as she felt.  
Immortal? No. Vampires were certainly longer-lived than humans, but they could be killed, and they could die. All vampires and Lycans – including Selene herself – referred to themselves as “immortals”. Yet, how close, and how often, had she and Erika come to death in the last few days? But for one step here, or one inch there, she might truly have died any number of times.  
And Selene herself had killed dozens, perhaps hundreds, of Lycans over the years. How many? She didn’t know. If she’d kept count, she lost track long ago. And she’d seen her share of fellow soldiers fall in battle. Every one of them, claiming the title of being immortal… and most had never returned. Was that not death for them? Certainly none of her victims ever rose again to accuse her of murder. The oldest immortal of which she knew personally was Viktor, and while Viktor had claimed to be a thousand years old, Selene now doubted he had been more than six hundred years at best.  
She shivered at the thought of the “was”. Viktor was indeed no more, she herself had seen to that. She had been the one to end his supernaturally long life, cutting him down with his own sword. All that she knew of the immortal world, she had learned from him… and she now knew that most of what she’d been told was a lie. The one person she had trusted above all others was responsible for her greatest grief and heartbreaking betrayal – the slaughter of her mortal parents and siblings. Was there any one thing Viktor had ever said to her, she thought bitterly, that had not been a lie? And was this not death as well? Viktor would never rise again, to in his turn accuse her of betrayal, or complain of the bitterness of his wound. He was gone. However long she lived, Selene would not look on his face again. Whatever they had left to say to one another would remain unsaid. Grief, Selene decided, is mute.  
And now she was outcast, hunted by her own kind, and her only support and company was a fledgling who she did not like and barely trusted. Still, Selene had to admit, Erika had shown far more courage than she had any right to expect. Erika was not a soldier by training or temperament, but she had shown bravery in the face of battle and even death. And Erika seemed to have lost a lot of her self-serving guile, away from Kraven’s baleful influence. They were not yet comfortable with each other, but if the last two days were any indication, there was room for hope.  
Erika emerged from the bath, exhausted but smiling. Her mood had lightened, the terror of the previous day finally lifted from her. Erika dropped her towel, apparently utterly at ease with her nakedness, her skin showing the slightest glow of pink from the warmth of the water. The deep gouges and abrasions that covered nearly every inch of her body were still ugly but visibly shrinking. Erika draped the towel over the footboard, and Selene sat up so Erika could clamber into the bed, which she did – pulling the thick covers up over her, not bothering with bedclothes. _So at home in the human world,_ Selene thought to herself.  
“He said he would even wash our clothes for us while we sleep,” Erika murmured, already half asleep from the moment she lay down. “Can you believe that?”  
“I don’t understand this at all,” Selene frowned, irritated that in her fatigue she could not think or reason clearly. “Why is he helping us?”  
Erika was far too exhausted to care. “Let’s ask him tonight,” she yawned sleepily, and buried her head into one of the large pillows with great contentment. In moments, her deep regular breathing assured Selene that Erika was fast asleep.  
Selene stared dully at her companion for a moment. Erika was right, they both needed rest, and Selene knew instinctively she would not be able to fight or think clearly again until she had slept. Drawing in a sharp breath, she made up her mind. She would bathe, then sleep. And in the evening she would question this mysterious benefactor Daniel as to his intentions – as forcefully as needed to get a truthful answer.  
Selene drew a fresh bath, settled gingerly into the hot water, and nearly fell asleep as the heat penetrated the ache in her bones and muted the dull throbbing in her head. Her movements slowed by exhaustion, she soaped her face and body, rinsing them with a soft washcloth dipped in water. The steam felt wonderful. Lacking the strength to wash her hair, she slid deep down into the tub and let her dark tresses soak. She lay there for some time, too exhausted even to think, and finally hauled herself from the bath with great reluctance and toweled herself off.  
There was only the one bed, but it was more than large enough for two. Erika had fallen asleep on the far side some time earlier. Feeling shy and self-conscious, but fatigue winning out, Selene drew back the covers and slipped into the bed naked. Erika stirred slightly but did not wake. Selene was unconscious almost from the moment she drew the covers up over both of them.  
Selene slept heavily that day, but even her exhaustion could not keep dark memories and dreams from sifting randomly through her mind as she slept. She saw Erika standing over her, fangs bared, claws slashing, covered head to toe in gore – her own and Selene’s. She saw Viktor, her dark father, staring dumbly at her as he realized he had just been dealt a fatal blow by his beloved daughter. Unable to speak, his eyes seemed to speak of unpardonable betrayal – and then his face literally fell to pieces. She saw Michael – her dark angel Michael, with his black-within-black eyes – roaring in pain as dozens of coven guards fired round after round of bullets into his supernaturally obsidian flesh – slowly, relentlessly cutting him to pieces with pelts of jagged steel. Selene was held in place by six Elders, all far more powerful than she, and she could only watch as a vapor cloud of blood and smoke obscured Michael’s writhing body. She screamed, she begged, she pleaded for them to stop, to let him live, but all that could be heard was the unrelenting staccato of automatic weapons fire. She broke both her arms struggling in vain to free herself.  
_Viktor is dead. Michael is dead. You killed them both.  
You do nothing but kill._  
Selene sat bolt upright in bed, heart pounding. She was still in the small bedroom and the house was very quiet. She did not know how, but she knew that it was night, and late into the night at that. She and Erika had slept through the day and well into evening. She turned her head to make sure Erika was still there. The younger vampire was propped up on one elbow, blinking at her through sleep-heavy eyes.  
“It’s all right,” Erika whispered. “We’re safe.”  
“Daniel?”  
“He didn’t pull the curtains on us. You were moaning in your sleep. I wasn’t sure if I should wake you or not.”  
“I’m sorry I woke you,” Selene said numbly. She was shaking uncontrollably.  
Erika shifted herself into an upright sit. As the blankets fell away, the soft curves of her body were obvious, even in the near total darkness. She reached out to comfort Selene, who flinched at her touch. Erika pulled her hand away slowly and with obvious sadness.  
“Do you want to get up? It’s night.”  
Selene thought about that for a minute. What she really wanted to do was cry – to keen aloud with pain and anguish until she was hoarse. But she would make no such display in front of Erika. And she was still so tired she could barely move.  
“No. Let’s go back to sleep.”  
“Good. I’m not ready to get up either.” Erika paused. “Is there anything I can do for you, Selene? Anything at all?”  
“No.” Selene slowly settled back down into the bed, rolling away from Erika, staring into the darkness.  
Erika hung her head for a moment. Then she lay back down too and pulled the warm, heavy blankets up over both of them. They lay together in the darkness in anguished silence, miserably awake, until at last they both finally fell asleep only minutes before the next dawn.

Selene woke, feeling empty but calmed, and with a slight, far off pang of hunger. With some chagrin, she realized that at least two full days had passed, and she had no idea how long she’d actually slept. She pushed herself up on one elbow and looked around. Erika was not in the bed with her, but the indentation of her form still hollowed the mattress beside her. With a mixture of shyness and pleasure, Selene realized she had slept next to Erika most of that time, and she had enjoyed the warmth and smell of her, and the simple comfort of her presence. So at home in the human world…  
She examined her hand, and found although not fully healed, it was looking far better. A fresh, bright pink scar ran across the tops of her knuckles, and as she turned her hand over, a matching scar ran jaggedly from her palm from where she’d sliced it on the car door. The new scar bisected her life line, and Selene smiled at the irony. Tentatively, she wiggled and stretched all her fingers, and was greatly relieved to find there was no pain or loss of flexibility.  
She looked around the room for her clothes, and couldn’t see them, but the sweatshirts and pants were still piled in one corner of the bed, and a thick terrycloth robe had been laid over the footboard, apparently for her use. She sat up slowly. Gratefully, she found no stiffness or soreness in her back or limbs, and although still tired, the worst of her exhaustion seemed to have fled. Her strength was coming back to her, and with it, hunger. She shrugged herself into the bathrobe, appreciating the warmth and softness of the heavy fabric against her bare skin. The robe was far too large for her slight frame, and reached almost to her shins. She decided this gift, like all the others, was from their mysterious benefactor Daniel. It was time for some answers. A quick tug at the drape confirmed her suspicions – it was well after dark. It was safe to move about the house. She opened the bedroom door and went out.  
She found Erika in the kitchen, seated at a rough-hewn oak dining table, a large leather-bound atlas open in front of her, a steaming mug of tea beside. She was wearing a pair of Daniel’s sweats, and a blanket was draped over her shoulders for additional warmth, and her feet were swaddled with gym socks. The lumpy, heavy fabric seemed ridiculously large on Erika’s body; still, Selene reminded herself, these were the only clothes available to them. The electric lights were off, and Erika was reading by the light of three large wax candles sitting in an iron candelabra in the middle of the table. Daniel was nowhere to be seen.  
Erika was engrossed in studying one of the maps and didn’t notice Selene in the doorway. Selene took the opportunity to study the young girl in an unguarded moment. She was poring thoughtfully over the map, leaning forward on her elbows, absently turning one lock of her golden-copper hair into a tight corkscrew and slowly unwinding it again. It seemed a curiously human gesture. Her full lips pursed slowly as she concentrated. Sensing she was being watched, she looked up, and her face broke into a wide smile at the sight of Selene.  
“You’re awake. I was worried you might sleep all night again.”  
There was nothing feigned or calculated in that smile, Selene noted. Erika was genuinely pleased to see her, and she could not prevent a shy smile in return. Erika got up from the table, took Selene’s hands in her own and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Selene was surprised by the effusiveness of the greeting but did not refuse it.  
“You’re all right?” Erika asked anxiously.  
“A little tired,” Selene admitted. “But much better, thank you.”  
“How’s your head? It looks like the swelling has gone down.”  
Selene gingerly patted the spot with her fingers. “It doesn’t hurt any more. Please, sit back down,” she told her companion, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “How long have you been up?”  
“About four hours, I guess.”  
“What time is it?”  
“Just after ten o’clock.”  
“Ten?” Selene could scarcely believe it. “How long have I been sleeping?”  
“About thirty six hours.”  
Selene was so astonished she couldn’t think of anything to say.  
“Do you need to sleep some more?” Erika asked with concern.  
“I think thirty six hours is quite enough,” Selene answered ruefully. “We seem to have rather imposed ourselves on our host.”  
“Just a little,” Erika affirmed with a laugh. Her young face glowed with strength and happiness again; she was obviously feeling much better. And something else: Selene narrowed her eyes slightly. The glow of Erika’s skin, the color of her hair now far more gold than copper… Erika had fed. Recently.  
“Where is Daniel?” Selene asked.  
As if on cue, Daniel emerged from the doorway from the opposite side of the kitchen, bearing a tray with a pale china teapot, sugar bowl and matching cups.  
“Good evening,” he greeted Selene cordially. “Or perhaps I should say, ‘Good morning’ instead? Are you feeling better?”  
He set the tray down at the far end of the table.  
“I told him you weren’t feeling well,” Erika confided, her telling glance indicating that she had tried to keep the full extent of Selene’s vulnerability private. Selene decided she would have to revise her opinion of Erika for the better.  
“Erika tells me that you won’t dine, not on anything I have to offer,” Daniel explained, hoisting the teapot, “But that you can drink water or tea, so I brewed a pot – another pot,” he corrected himself, catching Erika’s grin. “It’s not much, but you’re welcome to whatever you’re able to drink, and this… is for you.”  
He held out a large mug to Selene, filled with a dark liquid. Selene took the mug hesitantly and sniffed it. The mug was filled with fresh blood.  
“Not human, I’m afraid,” Daniel added. “From the lamb of a neighbor, slaughtered this afternoon. There wasn’t much – just enough for a glass each.”  
“It’s all right, Selene,” Erika assured her. “He knows.”  
“Erika, you didn’t – !”  
“I didn’t say anything. I didn’t have to. I told you – he already knew.”  
Sensing that Selene was struggling with more than just social embarrassment, Daniel turned away and made a show of getting the tea ready, giving Selene a chance to drink without being watched. Although still uncertain of the young man’s intentions, Selene appreciated the gesture, and drank quickly. Her hunger was speaking to her in no uncertain terms. The blood was not warm, but still fresh; it had been stored in refrigeration to keep from spoiling. She immediately felt strength surging into her body as she drank. When she’d drained the mug, Erika gave a slight nod of the head in Daniel’s direction, as if to ask: _what do you think?_ Selene was so bemused she had no idea what to think.  
“Thank you,” she said simply to Daniel, as she set the emptied mug on the table.  
“You’re very welcome. Please sit down.”  
Daniel offered Selene another beverage, this time dark tea in a china cup. Selene brought the cup to her lips and took a sip. The tea was strong, but excellent; and piping hot. The liquid warmed her as she drank. Between this and her first infusion of blood in days, Selene was feeling almost tipsy. She pulled out a chair at the close end of the table and seated herself.  
“Why are you helping us?” she asked.  
Daniel paused a moment, and then sat the teapot down thoughtfully. “Is there some reason I shouldn’t?”  
“It’s not normal behavior for a mor – for your kind,” Selene caught herself, thinking the word “mortal” might somehow seem demeaning in this context.  
Daniel nodded as if in agreement, then seated himself at the other end of the table, across from Erika. He poured himself a cup of tea while he considered his reply.  
“He desires me,” Erika said matter-of-factly.  
Selene stared at Erika in bewilderment. Daniel blushed and grinned shyly, and Selene noted that the young man didn’t contradict Erika’s statement. She wondered what exactly had transpired while she slept, and decided that for the moment she’d rather not know.  
“How did you know about us?” Selene asked. “How did you know – what we are?”  
“Please don’t take this the wrong way, but – when you first showed up here, just from one glance at you, it wasn’t hard to guess.”  
“I suppose we did present quite a sight,” Selene admitted.  
“It was also obvious you were in trouble.” Daniel seemed reluctant to say this aloud. “Your affairs are your own business. I’m not going to pry.”  
“You were afraid we might attack you. Or kill you.”  
“I was certain of it.”  
At this remark, Erika and Selene exchanged a troubled glance.  
“But then… well, it’s not that I was sure what to expect, but… I’ve heard stories. Yet neither of you are anything like the stories I’ve heard.”  
Selene shook her head. “We have no intentions of harming you,” she declared emphatically, as much for Erika’s benefit as Daniel’s.  
“And you have no need to fear us,” Erika added quickly. “You gave us shelter when we needed it. We’re very grateful to you.”  
“That’s good.” Daniel’s relief was palpable.  
“You're afraid of us,” Selene noted.  
“Yes. But… not as much as before,” Daniel answered. “When I first saw you, I thought for certain I was dead. Instead, I’m sitting here, talking with you, sharing tea. That’s not something I expected.”  
“You expected monsters,” Selene said quietly.  
Daniel nodded. “And you’re not at all. Either of you. Please don’t take this the wrong way, but you seem very… human.”  
Selene frowned, but Erika burst into a wide grin. “Of course we are,” the young vampire declared, and it was all Selene could do to not roll her eyes.  
“We won’t trouble you further, Daniel,” Selene said. “I realize we have overstayed our welcome. We really didn’t plan to spend three nights under your roof. Once we’ve dressed, we’ll leave. As Erika said, we are very grateful for your help. I’m sorry we have no way to repay you for your trouble.”  
“I can repay him,” Erika offered a carnal grin.  
“Erika,” Selene reproached her companion.  
Daniel smiled shyly. “Please, I’m not offended,” he said, not comprehending the real reason behind Selene’s rebuke. “Are you sure you are well enough to travel? If you’ll pardon my saying so, you looked in pretty rough shape when you turned up here.”  
Selene sensed nothing but concern in the young man’s demeanor; the fact they were both female and had the appearance of youth and beauty brought out the protectiveness in him, despite his fear. She gave him a warm smile. “I’ve felt better,” she admitted. “But thanks to you, I’m well enough to travel. And frankly, it’s not safe for you, if we stay here too long. We really need to be going.”  
“Are you traveling far?” Daniel asked. “If you don’t mind my asking. I guessed Erika wasn’t interested in borrowing my atlas for light reading.”  
“I was wondering why you were looking at maps,” Selene admitted to Erika.  
“I think I know where we should go,” said Erika, shifting the atlas in front of her, inviting Selene to sit beside her. “Come take a look at this.”  
Sensing Selene’s hesitation, Erika cocked her head in Daniel’s direction. “Is it all right to tell him? Can he listen?”  
Selene shook her head. “No. I’m sorry, Erika – you, too, Daniel.” She saw that Erika was going to protest. “I’m worried if he learns too much about us, if he knows anything about where we are from, or where we’re going, we might place him in danger. We don’t know that we’ve shaken off our pursuers. They might still track us here – in which case, ignorance might save Daniel’s life.” She turned to the young man. “Erika is obviously sincere in her feelings for you, and we’ve put you to too much trouble already. We certainly don’t want to put you in harm’s way on our account.”  
“You’re being hunted,” Daniel said quietly.  
After hesitating a moment, Selene nodded. “Yes. And we do not want to bring those hunters to your doorstep.”  
“Thank you,” Daniel said somberly. “I appreciate the concern.”  
“May we be alone for a few minutes? We’ll make our plans, get dressed and leave.”  
“You will say goodbye before you go?” Daniel seemed genuinely worried that they would not.  
“Yes, of course.”  
“All right. I’ll, ah, fetch your clothes.” Daniel turned to Erika. “There are some of my sister’s things here. I don’t think they’re exactly your size, but they should be a better fit than what you showed up in.”  
“Thank you, Daniel,” Erika said sincerely, and Daniel left the room.  
Selene sighed with relief. “I’m sorry, Erika,” she said. “If the Death Dealers – or the Lycans – think that Daniel had anything to do with hiding us, you know what they would do to him.”  
Erika nodded somberly. She knew.  
“It’s better – safer – for him if he doesn’t know too much.”  
“I understand,” Erika answered in a subdued voice.  
Selene got up and walked over to where her young companion sat. “You don’t want other immortals threatening his life.”  
“You’re right, I don’t,” Erika agreed. “So, do you want to see my choice of destination?”  
“Sure.”  
“Here,” Erika stabbed her finger down on the edge of one page. “This is where I think we should go.”  
Selene bent over the map to examine it. The legend read: _Seattle, Washington._ “Erika, that’s almost halfway around the world.”  
“That’s right.”  
“Why so far away?”  
“Well, just before we got ambushed in the freightyard, you suggested we should go to London. But it occurs to me that London probably isn’t any safer.”  
“Amelia’s coven is based there,” Selene noted with chagrin. “And Great House has safe houses there, too.”  
Erika nodded. “Even if they haven’t been attacked, we don’t know that we’d be welcome. I’m really not enamored with the whole hail of gunfire as greeting thing.”  
“Fair comment. But why Seattle?”  
“Because it is the other side of the world,” Erika explained. “Even if the Death Dealers found out we were living there, they would think twice about spending all that time and money just to come after us. In that situation, maybe they might just leave us alone.”  
“Don’t be too sure of that. I have a price on my head. The Death Dealers will go to any lengths to hunt me down.”  
“Us,” Erika interjected in a show of solidarity. “They’re hunting us.”  
Selene smiled somberly. “Hunting us,” she agreed.  
“There are no large covens there,” Erika continued. “At least, none that we know of. We wouldn’t have to fight for territory. And no one will be looking for us there, in part because it’s so far away.”  
Sensing that Selene was at least willing to consider the idea, Erika pressed on. “The climate is cool, cloudy and rains a lot, especially in the winter. And there are several smaller cities all around – ” Erika traced her finger in a circle around the map – “that surround the major city, so we’d have a wide area in which to spread our kills.”  
Selene snorted. “You’re no killer, Erika. It was all I could do to get you to bite a rabbit.”  
“We have to get blood from somewhere,” Erika pointed out. “You’re right. I don’t enjoy killing. But I don’t want to die, either. I’m ready to do what I have to.”  
Selene regarded her companion thoughtfully. Yes, she decided, Erika was ready to do what was necessary to ensure their survival. Their shared dangers had steeled the girl’s resolve. She almost smiled. There was hope for Erika yet.  
“All right,” Selene assented. “We have to go somewhere. Although I have no idea how we’re going to get there.”  
“What’s wrong with your idea of smuggling ourselves out of the country? As you said, we don’t have any passports or money.”  
“The closest place we could try that is back in Budapest,” Selene pointed out. “And frankly, since we were spotted near the warehouse district, that area of the city will be anything but safe.”  
“It’s been several days,” Erika protested. “I’m sure the Death Dealers and the Lycans are still looking for us, but wouldn’t it make more sense for them to be looking nearer to where they last saw us? Where we left the car?”  
“Yes, but we’d have to double back into the city, on foot, past that spot. I don’t think our chances of staying undetected are very good.”  
“Maybe Daniel could drive us back.”  
“Erika, if Daniel is seen with us, he’s as good as dead. We can’t ask him to take that kind of risk for us.”  
Erika’s expression was so pained that Selene gave her young companion a comforting squeeze on the shoulder. “You like him, don’t you?” she smiled.  
“He’s… nice,” Erika admitted, and then added, “Don’t you think so? He not only sheltered us, he fed us. He probably saved our lives.”  
“We’re much better off, thanks to his help,” Selene agreed. “But I don’t think it’s a good idea to involve him in our problems any more than is absolutely necessary.”  
“You’re probably right,” Erika agreed reluctantly.  
Daniel returned with an armload of clothes.  
“Selene, your bodysuit… or whatever you call it… is under this pile somewhere,” he announced. “I’ll get your boots in a minute. Erika, these are some of my sister’s things. I’m sure you can find something that will be a better fit than the outfit you arrived in. Certainly better than my old stuff.”  
“I like your old stuff,” Erika declared. “It’s warm and soft. And it smells like you.” She pulled gently on the large sweatshirt. “It is a little too big,” she admitted with a laugh. “Thank you, Daniel. This is very generous of you. I’m sure I can find something that will fit.”  
“Look, I don’t want to impose myself on you ladies, but I gather you’ve been traveling on foot. Can I give you lift anywhere? I’m not volunteering to drive all the way to Amsterdam or anything, but if you’re going to Budapest, or any place reasonably close, I’d be happy to oblige.”  
“We would really appreciate that, Daniel – ” Erika began, but then faltered as she saw Selene’s icy glare.  
“No.” Selene’s voice had dropped almost a full octave into a low growl, a sign of her obvious displeasure. “I’m sorry, Daniel, but that’s out of the question. It would be far too dangerous for you.”  
“Selene, if you’re in trouble, you’d be much better off in a car than on foot,” Daniel pointed out. He swallowed hard as Selene fixed him with the same angry stare.  
“We just don’t want anything bad to happen to you, Daniel,” Erika said in a small voice, as she saw that Selene’s stare was unnerving the young man. Selene took note, and dropped the glower.  
“Maybe I could let you borrow the car?” Daniel suggested. “And I could have one of my neighbors help me collect it later?”  
Erika shot Selene a pleading look.  
“Look… think it over while you change,” Daniel said. “I’d feel better if I can help you to get to someplace safe before we part company.”  
“All right,” Selene relented. “We’ll think about it.”  
Daniel left the women to sort through the clothing.  
Erika made a show of inspecting the blouses and slacks Daniel had left, knowing too well that any comment she made to Selene might be silenced.  
“You think we should take the car,” Selene observed.  
“We’re miles from any paved road, let alone the nearest city,” Erika said cautiously.  
“Do you know where we are, then?”  
Erika fidgeted, suddenly embarrassed. “Yes,” she confessed finally. “I, ah, borrowed Daniel’s laptop when he was sleeping. We’re about thirty five miles south and east of Budapest. We wouldn’t have to go through Dunaharaszti to get there.”  
Selene’s eyes narrowed. “Erika, you didn’t make any calls or send any emails, did you?”  
“No!” Erika’s declaration was almost angry. “I know what kind of trouble we’re in. I didn’t do anything that anyone could trace to us. No messages. I just checked to see where we are. That’s all.”  
Selene relented. Erika was not stupid. And it was time to start trusting her. “How are your wounds?”  
“They’re looking better,” Erika pushed up the sleeves of the sweatshirt so Selene could see. Compared to the other night, the scars had faded considerably. “See, they’re going away,” Erika confirmed with obvious relief. “Just like you said.”  
“Good.” Selene smiled. “A few more feedings, and you’ll be as good as new.”  
Selene was delighted to discover that her uniform had been expertly cleaned; the leather shined as if polished, and everything was warm and dry and bore only the slightest hint of its recent rough use. She felt slightly shy about changing in front of Erika, but this was no time to be fussy. She let the bathrobe slip to her ankles.  
Erika noted with mute shock that Selene’s back and stomach were covered with several ugly scars, most prominent was a set of three large, parallel, almost perfectly straight scars that cut diagonally across the middle of her back, starting just below her right shoulder. As Erika caught this glimpse, she realized that staring would make her companion very uncomfortable, so she quickly disrobed herself. They dressed in awkward silence. Selene shrugged herself into her Death Dealer uniform, and Erika found a reasonably functional match of a simple white blouse, dark slacks and matching jacket. Best of all was a pair of walking shoes only one size too large; an extra layer of socks made the fit reasonably snug and comfortable. Daniel returned with Selene’s boots, and these too had been carefully cleaned and polished.  
Selene realized sadly that Daniel had done most of this as a placation, expecting that he might have to bargain for his life. “Thank you,” she said, trying to show that she was genuinely grateful for his efforts. The young man smiled.  
“I wish there was some way we could thank you,” Erika added, and Selene noted again that the two young people seemed very drawn to each other.  
“That’s easy,” Daniel answered. “Please don’t kill any of my neighbors. Strange as it might seem, I actually like most of them.”  
Selene nodded. The request was reasonable. “No harm will come to them,” she assured him. “Not from us, at any rate.”  
Daniel smiled with relief. “Thank you. Have you made up your mind about the car?”  
Selene caught Erika’s look out of the corner of her eye. If she didn’t accept, Erika might implode. She smiled. “Erika talked me into accepting your very generous offer. We’re trying to get back to Budapest as quickly as we can. It would be a great help to be able to drive back. I really will try not to damage your car. However, we need to arrange some way for you to find the car and retrieve it.”  
“I guess I would say, just call me and tell me where you’ve left it,” Daniel said. “If you make it into the city without being spotted, that is. Just leave it in the nearest parking garage and I’ll bring a sackful of forints to pay the fare.”  
“And if we can’t?”  
Daniel shrugged. “Do the best you can. I know you’re not on a sightseeing trip.”  
They walked outside. Daniel had brought the car around to the farmhouse door. A slight breeze blew across the valley floor, warm and temperate. Daniel gave them the instructions to make it back to the main road, then it was time for farewells.  
“Goodbye, Daniel,” Erika sighed, embracing the young man tightly, pressing herself against him, and he encircled the small vampire in his muscular arms. “Thank you for everything.” It was several moments before they released each other, and when they did, Erika was bold enough to give him a quick kiss on the lips before stepping away.  
“One other thing, Daniel,” Selene cautioned. “You may have… visitors… in the next few days. Others, like us. They will be looking for us. For your own safety, if any of them approach you and ask about us, tell them that you saw us, but that we didn’t stay. Traces of our scent may linger, and if you say you haven’t seen us, they’ll know you were lying. They won’t think twice about killing you in that case.”  
Daniel nodded. “I understand.”  
“Tell them truthfully that we are headed back to Budapest. That truth should be enough to save your life.” Selene regarded the young man with concern and even affection, and then, to her own surprise, she leaned forward and kissed him shyly on the cheek. “Thank you, again. For everything.”  
They climbed inside the car, an older model sedan but perfectly serviceable, and started back up the hill along the graded dirt path that wound through the forest to the main road. At the top of the hill, Erika waved at Daniel, who was still standing in front of the door, watching them go. He waved in response and then went inside the farmhouse.  
“He’ll be all right, won’t he?” Erika asked anxiously.  
“He’s smart, he won’t say anything to endanger himself,” Selene assured her. “It’s still a long drive back to the city. Let’s get going.”

For all their apprehension, the drive back to Budapest was uneventful. They arrived in the city limits shortly after midnight, found a parking garage reasonably close to the warehouse district, and Selene tolerated Erika’s overly-long phone call back to Daniel to report where they had left the car. However, once they set out on foot, it was obvious that the city was still crawling with immortals out for blood. The fact that most of these were Lycan and not vampire was even less comfort. Twice they had to hide while packs of Lycans passed within only yards of them; by some miracle, the wolves did not scent them. They had hurled themselves into the nearest underground station to avoid one pack of wolves, only to run head-on into yet another wolf on the platform, who immediately gave chase. The gnarled old wolf solved the problem of escaping for them, by conveniently electrocuting himself on the rails while bounding after their train. At the end of the line, the immortals disembarked, shaken and frightened but otherwise unhurt.  
They returned to the warehouse district without further incident. Without too much difficulty, they found several crates labeled bound for the United States. Although there was intermittent activity all around the freight yard, they managed to seclude themselves without once being spotted.  
Selene was a little suspicious of their good fortune, but resolved not to jinx it. From the bills of lading, they found a crate ready to load for the coast and then for the Seattle Port Authority. Although the crates were sealed and no mortal could open one without a passkey, Selene managed to bend back one of the steel plates just enough for her and Erika to squeeze through; once inside, she bent it back again, hoping from the outside it would only look like normal wear and tear. Even for their immortal eyes, they found themselves plunged into absolute darkness.  
Erika was obviously distressed about entering the container, but she gamely entered when Selene indicated she should, and did so without complaint. Selene knew now that Erika’s claustrophobia was only too real, and she was impressed how the young immortal was determined to face her fears head on.  
Once inside, they used Daniel’s hand torch to look around. The container was nearly full, with dozens of crates reaching the ceiling, most of which were constructed from wood planking. They found one in particular meant to house glassware and the entire top section was a thick layer of straw and loosely spun cotton. Selene nodded. This would be their bed.  
Erika wrinkled her nose at the dust. “Can we really sleep all the way to Seattle?”  
“It’s easy, don’t worry.”  
She started to put the torch out, but Erika grabbed her wrist. “Wait. Before you do this… I just want to say something. While I can see your face.”  
“Your claustrophobia?” Selene guessed.  
“It’s not that.” Erika looked Selene in the eye. “You saved my life, Selene. More than once. I don’t know why, and I certainly didn’t deserve it, but I would be dead if not for you. I just wanted to say… thank you.”  
Selene smiled at her young companion. “You’re welcome, Erika.” She regarded the torch. “Is it okay to turn this off now?”  
“Let’s get settled first,” Erika suggested, and Selene agreed. They settled themselves down into the soft padding, and Erika immediately rolled onto her side, snuggling tightly against Selene.  
“You don’t mind, do you?” Erika asked.  
“No. I don’t mind,” Selene said truthfully. “It will be nice to have your company.”  
Erika laid her head on Selene’s breast.  
“Okay to turn off the torch now?” Selene asked. Erika closed her eyes, then nodded.  
Selene flipped the switch on the torch, and once again they were in total darkness.  
Erika clutched at Selene in fright for a moment, but forced herself to relax and loosen her grip. Keep your eyes closed, she told herself firmly. You won’t know the difference. “So, how do we enter immortal sleep?” she asked Selene.  
“It just comes to you,” Selene explained matter-of-factly. “It’s not that different from normal sleep. Your timer just kind of resets itself for a couple of months instead of a few hours.”  
“I don’t need to do anything special to make it happen?”  
“No. But, if you do wake before the trip is over, just give me a little nip on the ear and I’ll sit with you until you fall asleep again.”  
That was all the reassurance Erika needed. She snuggled against her companion, feeling safe and yes, even a little sleepy.  
“I can’t wait to see Seattle,” Erika murmured. “I’ve never been to America before.”  
“This will be something new for both of us,” Selene agreed. “Go to sleep.”  
As Erika drifted off, she was aware that she and Selene were still talking, and yet they were not speaking; they seemed to be exchanging thoughts as if through telepathy. Her mind still seemed to be active, and yet she knew she had stopped breathing, and her heart had stopped beating – a ‘still life’ in immortal parlance. It was a singular sensation. And apparently Selene was speaking to her, comforting her, guiding her through this new experience so she would not be afraid. The words were in no language she knew, and yet she understood them perfectly. Even as she marveled at this realization, she felt the need for her mind to be at rest, too, and slipped willingly and gratefully into unconsciousness. Selene’s soft voice still echoed in her mind, soothing her, telling her she was safe. Then, she knew nothing more.


	5. Chapter 5

_Seeking Haven_

The Seattle Port Authority was having an unusually busy day, with shipments from Japan, California and parts of Europe all arriving around the same time. The overworked inspectors regarded the new mountains of containers with something approaching disgust, but they collected the necessary papers and went through the crushing drudgery of inspecting each container, grumbling obscenities about “homeland security” and other targets of bureaucratic ire.  
At the periphery of her awareness, Selene regarded the row with a slight fluttering of the eyelids. She was not yet fully awake, but her immortal senses were already scanning ahead of her consciousness, hunting for any signals of danger. Her cheek twitched. Then she was aware of a bright light; but not sunlight – there was no pain. The container had been opened. Her brain activity increased, and for the first time in weeks, she drew breath into her lungs and the made the attempt to swallow on a completely dry throat.  
She felt herself being jostled. The crate she slept in was being moved, probably by forklift. As her body rocked gently back and forth, she felt the still weight of Erika’s sleeping form beside her, and the recognition brought her consciousness. Erika. She had to make sure Erika was all right.  
Before she could react, she was aware of a light shining directly into her face, and a man’s voice.  
“Holy _shit!”_  
Selene’s eyes flew open. She found herself staring into the face of a middle aged man holding an electric torch. Instinctively, she bared her fangs and hissed in warning. The man jumped back, more startled than frightened. Selene hissed again, and the lid of the crate slammed down on top of her, plunging her into darkness once again.  
“Jesus Christ,” the man’s voice muttered from somewhere above her.  
“What is it?” called another voice, further away.  
“It’s nothing,” the man’s voice answered, after a considerable pause.  
“We were supposed to check this entire shipment.”  
“Kid, stop trying to tell me my job! We’re done here.” The voice raised to a shout. “Get this crate outta here! Go on! Move it, move it!”  
The crate jostled again, and eventually was set down with a none-too-gentle bump.  
Beside Selene, Erika stirred and made a slight moan as she drew her first breath. She had to cough several times before she could speak.  
“Selene?” she croaked finally.  
Selene suddenly realized she could neither speak, nor move her limbs; and from somewhere in the pit of her stomach she was aware of acute pain. Something was wrong. She opened her mouth and could only gag. Frightened, she tried to force her arms and legs to move, and her body seemed completely unable to respond. She could feel Erika shifting her weight beside her.  
“Selene?” Erika’s tone of voice suggested fright. Still unable to respond, Selene tried desperately to shift her head, move her limbs, anything at all, fighting for consciousness. As she did so, sharp, stabbing pains seared across the threshold of her awareness – like ice picks being spiked into her skull. The pain was acute enough that she found her voice, in the form of an involuntary cry of agony.  
“Selene? Are you all right?”  
“Erika,” Selene managed to gasp. “Help…!”  
She could feel Erika pushing against the side of the crate, and she heard wood splintering, and faint light returned. Erika had freed them; she had apparently smashed her way out of the crate from the inside. Selene’s growing awareness told her that their axis had shifted; she was no longer laying on her back, but instead standing upright. The crate had tipped over on its side in Erika’s struggle to free them. She had just enough time to register this information when she felt herself falling.  
Selene toppled out of the crate, landing awkwardly on her hands and knees. Lowering her head, she gagged involuntarily. Although she had nothing on her stomach, the peristalsis continued. Her body was afire with pure pain; every nerve ending was shrieking, jangling, danger, danger, danger.  
“Selene?” Erika squealed in alarm. _“Selene?”_  
“Oh my GOD,” Selene groaned in between dry retches.  
Frightened by her companion’s sudden collapse, Erika knelt beside Selene and gently held her by the shoulders. “What is it? What’s wrong?”  
“I – _ohh_ – don’t know,” Selene answered, unable to raise her head.  
“Are you sick? How can you be sick?”  
Selene didn’t answer, and Erika could do nothing more than hold her friend as she retched. After a few anxious moments, the attack seemed to pass; the spasms grew less frequent and less violent. Selene’s body relaxed. Erika helped her to lay down on the cold concrete floor. Selene instinctively folded her arms across her chest and drew up her legs in a near-fetal position.  
“Give me a minute,” she gasped. “The pain – I think it’s going away.”  
“What happened?”  
“I don’t know. _Oww._ I’ve – never felt like this before.”  
“Did something in the crate make you sick?”  
“Immortals don’t get sick,” Selene grimaced, closing her eyes.  
“Well, _something_ happened to you.”  
“Is anyone around?”  
Without moving from where she knelt, Erika quickly glanced around in every direction. She could see nothing but crates. “I think we’re alone.”  
“Good.”  
“Where does it hurt?” Erika asked, blindly seeking some way, any way to provide comfort or assistance. “Do you need blood?”  
Selene, unable to speak, shook her head.  
If Erika wasn’t panic-stricken before, she was now. “You’re not going to die?” she asked anxiously. “I mean, _really_ die?”  
Selene didn’t answer, but kept drawing in deep, regular breaths. Erika had just about made up her mind to bolt, with the vague intention of seeking medical help, when Selene finally opened her eyes.  
“Selene?” Erika quavered.  
“Help me… onto my back,” Selene grunted.  
Erika reached over and gently supported her friend as she rolled from her side to her back. Selene did not unclasp her arms, but she slowly unclenched her legs, resting with knees slightly bent instead of folded into her stomach.  
“I’m sorry, Erika,” Selene’s voice seemed cracked and hollow. “I need to lay here for a few minutes.”  
“What can I do? How can I help you?”  
“Take a look around,” Selene murmured. “See if you can find out where we are, and if we’re alone. _Ohh._ We don’t want anyone to find us.”  
“I don’t want to leave you,” Erika protested.  
Selene coughed painfully. “Please, Erika. I can’t run or fight. See if we need to hide.”  
“You’re sure?”  
Selene managed to nod. “Don’t let anyone see you.”  
“I’ll be right back.”  
Her heart pounding, Erika got to her feet. The space they lay in was essentially a narrow alley between stacks of crates. Walking to the end of the row, Erika peeked around the corner and saw similar rows of crates and containers in all directions – but no people.  
They were in a warehouse, but where that warehouse was, Erika had no idea. All the overhead floodlights were on, but there was not a sign or sound of anything moving immediately around her. There were no windows to indicate if it was day or night outside. However, they were somewhere near water; she could smell it, large bodies of it, and rain. Even inside the warehouse, it was noticeably damp.  
Just to be safe, Erika walked to the end of the next row, peeping through gaps in the stacks of crates as she passed. There was nothing to be seen or heard except more of the same: silent pillars of boxes and crates. She listened carefully; there seemed to be a fair amount of activity going on outside the building, but no sound or movement in the building itself.  
Relaxing her guard a little, Erika stepped out from behind the last crate to get a better view. There were loading bay doors directly ahead of her, all locked and alarmed; she could force the lock if absolutely necessary, but that would create attention she neither wanted or needed. There were several security cameras trained on each of the doors, but apparently, none on the warehouse floor itself. They would remain undetected until they approached one of the entrances.  
Erika returned to Selene’s side. Selene hadn’t moved, but her body was no longer tense and she seemed to be resting more comfortably. She put one arm down at her side as Erika approached.  
“Anything?”  
“We’re locked in. No one’s around. How are you feeling?”  
“Wretched.”  
“Do you need blood?”  
Selene grimaced. “I can’t feed right now.”  
“What can I do to help you?”  
“Sit down and rest. I’m feeling better. Give me a few minutes and we’ll go exploring.”  
Erika sat on the floor, resting her back against one of the crates.  
“So this is Seattle,” Selene murmured, closing her eyes again. “Doesn’t look like much.”  
“It looks like a warehouse,” Erika agreed. “Selene, what are we going to do?”  
“I don’t know yet. I’m thinking. Are you hungry?”  
“Not yet, but I think we’re both going to need to eat something soon.”  
“Eat?” Selene popped open one eye.  
Erika made a face. “You know what I mean.”  
“How are you feeling? Are you okay?”  
“I think I’m fine. Just feel a little weak is all.”  
“You have straw stuck in your hair,” Selene observed.  
Erika immediately ran her hands over her head, brushing out dust and hay. As she dusted herself off, she became aware of acute pangs of hunger. “I think the sooner we feed, the better,” she declared.  
“Probably a good idea,” Selene murmured from where she lay, eyes closed again.  
“Are you better?”  
“I think so. The pain’s starting to go away.”  
Erika knelt beside Selene again. “Where does it hurt most?”  
“My stomach.”  
“Well, your suit’s not ripped anywhere I can see. Maybe you have an internal injury?”  
“Not likely.”  
“Can – can I unzip you?” Erika asked shyly.  
Selene nodded. Gently, Erika unfastened the clasp at Selene’s throat, and tugged the zipper down to its terminus, just above Selene’s pubic mound. Selene’s skin was chalk white, and glistening with sweat, but Erika could see no obvious injury; only the bright pink scars she’d seen earlier, old wounds. Erika very gently slipped her hand inside Selene’s suit, and pushed on either side of her abdomen, then on the center of her belly.  
“Does it hurt if I press down?” she asked, trying to use the lightest pressure she could manage.  
“It doesn’t hurt worse.”  
“How about your back? Anything near your kidneys?”  
“No. The pain is worse up front.”  
Erika calculated her own helplessness against Selene’s symptoms; in truth, she would have no idea what to do, even if she discovered some new fact. Shyly, she ran her hand up Selene’s sweat-slick torso and gently pushed on her sternum. “Any chest pain?”  
“No.”  
Deciding she could nothing else for the moment, Erika carefully re-zipped the front of Selene’s outfit, then brushed Selene’s hair back with the palm of her hand. Trying to keep her voice light, she said, “Remind me to tell you, when you’re feeling better, what a gorgeous navel you have.”  
“Thanks.” Selene tried as best she could to return the banter so Erika wouldn’t panic.  
“Can you get up yet?”  
Selene shook her head weakly. “Working on it.”  
“You need blood,” Erika decided, rolling up her sleeve, baring her fangs and preparing to gash her own wrist.  
“Erika, no!” Selene protested, raising her head. “You need your blood. You’re as dehydrated as I am.”  
“Maybe, but I’m not the one who’s sick.”  
“All the same, your blood level is dangerously low. Don’t. Please.”  
Coming to a decision, Erika stood up. “If you won’t drink from me, then I’m going to find some blood for you,” she announced.  
“Don’t be silly. You wouldn’t kill anyone.”  
“Maybe not a person. But there have to be other red-blooded animals nearby.”  
“All right,” Selene agreed weakly. “Just… don’t go too far away, will you? Stay close. And stay out of sight.”  
Erika returned to the loading bay, and looked around helplessly. She knew they had to be somewhere near water; she could feel the humidity in the air. But were there any animals close at hand? Selene was right, she could not kill a person, maybe not even to save her own life.  
“Come on, Erika, think!” she scolded herself desperately. “How are you going to get out of here, without setting off every alarm in the place?”  
Then the solution came to her – so practical and simple, she had to smile. She didn’t need to get out; she didn’t even need to hunt. She could summon animals to her. The local fauna would find a way inside the building for her, if one was to be found. Relieved that she had hit upon an idea that seemed workable, Erika stood the edge of the dock, just out of camera range, closed her eyes and began to concentrate.  
Summoning was just another form of fascination; with a little effort, she could call any animal to her side. Small mammals would be most receptive, but any animals with red blood in their bodies would respond if they were able. As Erika concentrated, she could hear guard dogs barking frantically from somewhere outside. They had heard her summons, but were apparently unable to reach her.  
Slowly, Erika became aware of faint scratching and scuffling sounds all around her. Frowning in concentration, eyes closed, Erika kept her summons clear. When she opened her eyes at last, she found herself surrounded by a large group of filthy sewer rats.  
“Oh my _God,”_ she grimaced in disgust. “As if rabbits weren’t bad enough – !”  
Still, Erika was ravenous. Trying not to look, or think about what she was doing, she grabbed the fattest rat closest to her, striking with immortal speed, giving the animal no time to react. The greasy, foul smelling animal writhed and squealed in Erika’s grip. The other rats, released from the summons, scurried away. Erika cautiously brought the rat closer to her face; the reek from the animal was overpowering. Trying not to breathe, Erika bared her fangs and tore the rat’s throat open with a single strike. She fed hastily, and without pleasure, trying to not even taste the blood as it poured down her throat. She drained the animal in a matter of seconds and flung the carcass away in disgust.  
“Oh my God, I can’t believe I just _did_ that,” she choked, her face twisted in a moue of revulsion. “I just ate a _rat._ Oh GOD! Oh God Oh God Oh GOD – !”  
She doubled over, trying desperately not to retch. If she vomited up the blood, she would simply have to repeat the process all over again, and once was bad enough. She slumped in a corner, fighting with her nausea until her stomach settled.  
After a few moments, the blood did its work; although Erika’s stomach still churned in protest, she could feel strength and warmth returning to her limbs. Slowly, she pushed herself upright. She would have to repeat the summons. She had to trap at least one of the animals for Selene to feed on.  
“It’s not for you,” she repeated aloud to herself. “You don’t have to eat it. It’s not for you.”  
Concentrating, she started the summons again, and knew it was working when the dogs outside began to bark frantically. A few moments later, the tell-tale _skritch-skritch_ of tiny claws on concrete could be heard. The sound made Erika’s skin crawl; it was all she could do to stay focused on the task at hand. Selene was depending on her.  
The rats gathered again, and Erika grabbed the two largest, one in each hand, snapping their necks instantly as she scooped them up. She only had to carry them a short distance, but she didn’t want them wriggling and squealing in her hands. The first time had been bad enough.  
She turned to return to the crate, and halted in surprise as a small alligator lumbered squatly into view from behind one of the wooden boxes. Apparently, it too had heard the summons, and had come as quickly as its stumpy legs would allow. The animal was not quite three feet long and rather fat – apparently it dined on rats and liked them – and had come from somewhere far wetter than the warehouse, leaving a trail of water and slime behind it.  
“Oh, _no,”_ Erika groaned in dismay. “No, no. You – go back to wherever it is you came from,” she told the alligator in the most excoriating tone she could manage. “I don’t know how you got in here, and I don’t care. Shoo!”  
The alligator regarded her briefly from underneath heavy-lidded eyes, as if insulted by her vehement rejection. Then, snorting in apparent disgust, it turned its long snout and slowly began to double back on its path, returning in the direction from which it had come. Erika sighed, partly with chagrin, partly with relief. If she was going to use the summons on a regular basis, she would have to learn to use it selectively, to call only those animals she wished to appear. She wasn’t sure what else was lurking in the waters around the warehouse. She only knew she wasn’t interested in finding out.  
She returned to Selene, who drank the blood from both rats, but without appetite. She discarded the corpses as Erika had done, with complete disgust.  
“Sorry,” Erika apologized. “I know rats taste awful. There wasn’t much else on the menu.”  
“You did fine, Erika.”  
“Well, you could have had an alligator…”  
“Alligator?” Selene seemed amused by the idea.  
“I decided I didn’t have the strength to wrestle it into submission.”  
“An alligator. It looks like Seattle is going to be full of surprises.” Selene lay back down on the cold floor and closed her eyes. “Don’t worry, Erika, the blood is helping. I’m starting to feel better. Thank you.”  
“All right, then. The first thing we need to do is get out of sight. We can’t just lay here on the warehouse floor and wait for somebody to find us.”  
“Agreed.”  
“But I don’t think we should move until we’re sure you’re okay.”  
Selene opened one eye, as if she wanted to argue that point, but then decided she couldn’t. “What did you have in mind?”  
“Look straight above you.”  
Selene did as Erika asked, but her eyes could hardly focus; and as she tried to focus them, she felt weak and giddy. She closed her eyes again. “What am I supposed to be looking at?” she asked.  
“You noticed the conveyor belts?”  
“What about them?”  
“There’s a set very close to the ceiling, and a service walkway alongside.”  
“Those just have grates for flooring, Erika. No place to hide there.”  
“On the walkways themselves. But there are little… I’m not sure what you’d call them? Shelves? Ledges? Anyways, there’s about a dozen of them, spaced regularly around the ceiling, big enough for us to lie down on – right near the roof. They’re up high, so even on the service walk, you can’t see what’s on them.”  
“Maintenance areas? For working on the belts?”  
“Maybe. But whatever they are, I’m pretty sure no one goes up there. We could hide there until you’re feeling better. We can’t crawl back into the crate and wait for someone to unpack us.”  
“All right,” Selene agreed. “Sounds like it’s worth a look.”  
“Can you walk?”  
“I think so. If you help me.”  
Very cautiously, Erika knelt beside Selene and helped her sit upright.  
“Okay so far?” Erika asked.  
“Ooh. The room’s going ‘round.”  
“Maybe you should wait here while I have a look.”  
Selene shook her head. “We should go together.”  
“All right, but once you’re up, lean on me as much as you need to.”  
“Okay,” Selene nodded.  
“Here comes the tricky bit then – standing up.” Erika took Selene’s hands in her own. “Here we go – one, two, three.”  
With a little grunt of effort, Erika dragged Selene to her feet. To their shared dismay, Selene did need to lean on Erika for support. To make their walk easier, Erika had Selene drape one arm across her shoulders, while Erika encircled Selene’s tiny waist with her close arm.  
“Ready?”  
Selene nodded, grimly fighting her disorientation. “Let’s hurry.”  
Selene managed to affect a graceless limp and they walked to the far wall. Once at the ladder, Erika wondered how Selene would ever make it in her condition.  
“I can do this,” Selene assured her companion. “I just can’t do it quickly.”  
Erika stood behind Selene, and gently pushed, giving Selene’s weakened limbs the extra leverage they needed. Slowly they crawled up the ladder. Erika was horrified to the extent that her friend was debilitated. The effort of essentially having to push her up the ladder was exhausting. Somehow, they managed to reach the walkway.  
They were limping across the service walk when they could hear the gates rolling up. Apparently the warehouse crew was returning. Erika could see a little wedge of brilliant white sunlight off in the distance where the doors were opening; and even that one glance smarted her eyes. Grimly, she helped Selene traverse the remaining distance before any workmen stepped onto the floor.  
They clambered up onto the ledge, and found the space vacant, except for a few padded storage blankets. This was more than Erika had hoped for; she could swaddle Selene in warm, soft cover. Selene apparently had the same idea, grabbing one of the blankets, and spreading it beneath her before she collapsed. The dark-haired immortal lay perfectly still where she fell, not moving, unconscious.  
Erika dared a quick peek over the ledge. The floor was swarming with workmen, and a small knot of them were examining the tipped over crate with the mysterious hole in its lid. Erika prayed that since nothing was missing, the inspection would be a brief one, and quickly forgotten. On her hands and knees, she clambered over Selene’s still form. Her breathing was deep and regular, and for that, Erika gave silent thanks. She lay down beside her friend, spooning her from behind to keep her warm, and pulled two other blankets up over them both. She hugged Selene tightly to her and then, despite the relative din going on directly beneath them, fell almost instantly asleep.  
It was silence that woke Erika almost a full day later. Bleary-eyed, she pushed her head out from underneath the blankets, listening carefully. The constant hubbub of the work crews had provided her with white noise that had helped her sleep. Now that the workmen had left, the warehouse was silent again.  
Sitting up cautiously, Erika pulled the blankets back to check on Selene. Her skin was far too pale, even for an immortal, but her breathing was deep and regular, and her body was relaxed. She was sleeping normally, without pain or discomfort. Her body was also agreeably warm, her tepid body heat incubated by the insulation of the heavy blankets. Erika sighed with relief.  
Although the warehouse was quiet, Erika wanted desperately to crawl back under the blankets and hide, but she knew she mustn’t. Although they were safe for the moment, the longer they stayed in the warehouse, the more likely it became that they would be detected. And whatever was ailing Selene, the only antidotes Erika knew of were blood and rest. She had to be sure that when Selene woke, fresh blood would be ready in ample supply.  
Erika debated using the summoning again. The thought of draining another rat turned her stomach. Yet there seemed to be little alternative. Once Selene was able to move, they could evaluate other options. Until then, they had to remain hidden. Even if that meant rats for breakfast.  
Still, that action would only keep them out of immediate danger. They had fled Budapest with no plan at all. How would they live? How would they feed? Selene had tried to suggest to Erika that these considerations had to be taken into account, and now, with the full enormity of their plight in full view, Erika was genuinely frightened. How would they survive?  
She lay back down, thinking. They needed clothing. They needed a permanent place to live. They had to find some way of obtaining blood on a regular basis that would not alert the local mortal authorities – to say nothing of other immortals – to their presence. She considered each of these carefully in turn, and then decided the first course of action was breakfast.  
Erika slipped as quietly as she could from the “loft” and made her way to the warehouse floor. Not having really appreciated the height before, she realized the service platform they slept on had to be at least four stories off the ground. No mortals were around, so as long as she stayed clear of the security cameras, she would be safe.  
Once on the floor, she returned to the spot nearest the doors where she could complete a summoning. She sat on the floor, drawing her legs up underneath her, trying to make herself as composed and comfortable as possible. She closed her eyes and concentrated, and the summons began. She could hear the faint _skritch-skritch_ of the rats almost immediately. Shuddering involuntarily, Erika kept up the summons, in the faint hope of putting something else on the menu.  
She finally opened her eyes, and found herself surrounded by a motley menagerie of animal life; rats were by far the majority, but there were also two rather mangy looking rabbits, a duck, some small birds that apparently nested in the rafters, and two very large snakes. Erika didn’t know the variety, and for a moment forgot that the animals could do nothing as long as she kept them in thrall. She kept the duck and the rabbits – and after some considerable hesitation, both of the snakes. None of the animals resisted as she picked them up and snapped their necks; still, she couldn’t help feeling revulsed. If not for Selene’s sake, she would never have considered going near such animals, let alone touch them or feed off them.  
She returned to the platform with “breakfast” wrapped in a torn piece of cloth, and found – to her great relief – Selene was wide awake and sitting up, a blanket draped over her shoulders.  
“How are you feeling?” Erika asked breathlessly.  
“I’m feeling like it’s time to see what Seattle looks like,” Selene answered.  
“Thank God.” Impulsively, Erika gave Selene a quick hug. “You have no idea how worried I was. I really thought you were going to die.”  
“So did I,” Selene admitted, and then, deliberately changing the subject, she asked with a smile, “What, no alligator tonight?”  
“No,” Erika laughed. “Thank goodness!”  
Selene seemed impressed. “You hunted these all by yourself?”  
“I used the summoning,” Erika explained.  
“Still, you handled all of these animals. That was pretty brave of you.”  
“You need blood,” Erika said simply. “And probably a lot. I did what I had to.”  
“Thank you.” Selene smiled at her friend. “You’re a good protector, Erika.”  
Erika found herself blushing at the compliment, and then suddenly realized she too was very hungry. She took one of the rabbits, and Selene started with one of the snakes. To Erika’s immense relief, Selene seemed to have a good appetite; she drained both of the snakes and the duck before stopping.  
“That’s all you want?” Selene regarded her companion. “Did you get enough?”  
“The rabbit was pretty big,” Erika answered. “I don’t really care for rat.”  
“I don’t blame you,” Selene agreed sympathetically.  
“How do you do that?”  
“Do what?”  
“You drank blood from all those animals and didn’t spill a drop.” Erika was still licking blood from her fingers. “I’m lucky I don’t get it all over myself.”  
“You’re not used to drinking from live animals,” Selene shrugged. “It’s easy enough, once you get used to it.”  
“Yes, but at Great House, you used to drink from glasses too, just like everyone else.”  
“I do now, yes. But long before then, I – and other immortals – had to dine out, so to speak.”  
“I miss Great House,” Erika said forlornly. “I miss the coven. I miss having a glass of blood ready for me every night when I wake, and having a room of my own, with a soft bed and clean clothes – ”  
“I miss it, too,” Selene agreed, laying back down on the blanket and stretching herself out. “But there’s no point going on about it. We can’t go back.”  
“No, I suppose not,” Erika admitted. “You act like you’re feeling better.”  
“I am. Thanks to you.”  
Erika smiled shyly at the praise. “Are you feeling strong enough to explore?”  
“I’d like that. I’m still pretty weak, though. I don’t think I can venture too far.”  
“That’s all right. I already have an idea where we should go.”  
“Oh? What did you have in mind?”  
“Well, the first thing on the agenda is clothes shopping. We’re going to need other clothes than what we’re wearing.”  
Selene regarded her own outfit with some skepticism. “What’s wrong with what I’ve got on?”  
“Selene, you look gorgeous in leather and latex, but if we’re going to blend in with the mortals, we need to dress like them. Mortals don’t walk around wearing jet black bodysuits.” She paused. “Well, most of them don’t.” She regarded her own clothing critically. “And this… well, it keeps me covered, but that’s about all.”  
“So what are we going to do?” Selene asked. “We don’t have any money.”  
“No. We don’t.” Erika sighed. “We’re going to add thievery to our list of vices.”  
“What, stealing off clotheslines?” Selene smiled.  
“Hardly that. I was thinking of robbing one of the finer department stores.”  
“Please tell me you’re joking.”  
“Do you have a better idea?”  
“You really want to try to pull off a smash-and-grab?”  
“No!” Erika exclaimed. “We don’t want to grab just anything. Besides, most stores have security cameras everywhere. You can’t fascinate a camera. There’s a better way to get what we need.”  
“And what’s that?”  
“Trust me,” Erika gave her friend a knowing smile. “I’ll take care of that part of the plan.”  
“Oh? And what’s my part supposed to be?”  
“I’m counting on you to find a quick way in and out of here, so we can come and go without being noticed.”  
Erika quickly explained the layout of the warehouse, the positions of the cameras, and the locations of the doors.  
“And if we force any of the doors, we set of the alarms?” Selene asked, and Erika nodded.  
“Exactly. And until we find something more suitable, this is going to have to be our home base – at least for a few more nights. We need to be able to get in and out of here whenever we need to.”  
Selene frowned, lost in thought. “That’s too bad,” she murmured.  
“What is?”  
“That we can’t kick in the doors. I like kicking in doors. It’s a particular talent of mine.”  
Erika sat puzzled for a moment, trying to understand Selene’s bizarre statement. Then her face brightened. “Selene!” she exclaimed. “Did you just make a _joke?”_  
“What about ventilation?” Selene asked suddenly.  
“What?”  
“Ventilation. Fans. Ceiling ducts.” Selene got to her feet. “Come on. We need to have a proper look ‘round.”  
They stood out on the service walkway and stared up at the ceiling. It was snaked with pipes and ducts of all shapes and sizes, but nothing that led directly out, and all far too small to consider crawling through.  
“Let’s go to the end of the walkway,” Selene suggested. “There has to be a terminus somewhere that we can access.”  
The two women padded across the walkway to the far end of the warehouse, and discovered that the farthest wall did in fact have a blower fan big enough for them to step through. The fan was not on, and the space between the blades was just wide enough to squeeze through, provided the cover grates were removed. The darkness beyond confirmed that it was night; it was safe for them to be out. Erika watched as Selene grabbed the grill with one hand, and, grunting with exertion, gently bent the heavy metal latticework out of the way.  
“Now what?” Erika asked.  
“Now we brace these blades, so we don’t get turned into puree if the motor happens to switch on while we’re in the housing.”  
Selene returned to the service walkway, looking for anything that could be used to block the fan blades. Not seeing anything immediately suitable, Selene grabbed one length of the handrail, bent it up and broke it off. She returned to the fan and jammed the railing in between two of the blades like a crowbar.  
“Let’s just hope they don’t send a technician up here, if the fan doesn’t come on,” Selene said grimly. “All right. One more act of vandalism, and we’re free.”  
Selene steeled herself, breathing in and out as if focusing her chi, and then, with one violent kick, she knocked the opposite grill off its foundation.  
The women slipped through the fan housing, and found themselves standing on a shallow platform at the edge of the roof. A stiff breeze was blowing, and little drops of rain struck their faces. Off in the distance, glowing under the heavy cloud cover, was the skyline of the city, partially obscured by mist and rain.  
“Erika, welcome to Seattle,” Selene said simply.  
For a moment, the two stood and drank in the view.  
“Oh my God, Selene, we did it!” Erika exclaimed. “We really did it! We’re here! We made it!”  
She glanced down; the pavement at street level was still a good four stories beneath them.  
“How do we get down?” Erika asked.  
“We jump.”  
“That far?”  
Selene frowned. “Erika, you’ve never jumped off the roof of a building before?”  
“Never,” Erika shivered.  
“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of heights too.”  
“No.”  
“Good.”  
“But I am afraid of falling.”  
Selene tried to conceal her irritation. “Erika, you can do this. I have jumped off church ramparts hundreds of feet in the air, and landed safely on my feet.”  
“But you’re a soldier,” Erika objected. “You were trained to do that.”  
“Any immortal can do it. Not just soldiers.”  
“Really?” Erika was astonished. “But I – OH!”  
Erika shrieked in fright as Selene gave her a rough shove. As Erika toppled from the ledge, Selene dived after her, grabbing her hand to guide her fall. Before Erika could even begin to be terrified, they had already reached the ground, landing on their feet just as Selene said they would.  
“You – you _pushed_ me,” Erika sputtered.  
“I did,” Selene agreed. “And if I hadn’t, we would have been up there all night, while you worked up the courage to jump.”  
“You didn’t have to push me!” Erika snarled, more frightened than angry.  
Selene took Erika’s hands in her own. “I won’t push you again. Ever,” she declared.  
Erika hesitated, wanting to be convinced. “Promise?”  
“I promise. Now that you know how easy it is, you’ll be able to do it by yourself, all the time.”  
“I didn’t like that,” Erika insisted.  
“I know. That’s why I promise not to do it again,” Selene said soothingly. “All right. I fulfilled my part of the bargain. We’re out. Where to next?”  
Erika sighed, her momentary terror beginning to fade. “Well, now we – ” she halted abruptly, as two large barking guard dogs came tearing around the corner of the building, making straight for them. “Oh, _no!”_ Erika wailed.  
“It’s all right,” Selene assured her, but just in case, she stepped between Erika and the charging dogs. Selene’s eyes lit up, burning ice-blue as she stared the animals down.  
The dogs halted their charge. They still advanced, but now at a trot, with heads bowed and tails lowered, whimpering slightly. Selene patted each one on the head.  
“That’s right,” she murmured placatingly. “We’re friends. You don’t need to fear us. Good dogs.”  
“You… used fascination on them,” Erika realized, astonished at how direct and simple the solution was.  
“Of course,” Selene said, gently scratching each of the dogs behind the ears. “Pity it doesn’t work on Lycans.”  
“You like dogs,” Erika observed. “I didn’t know you liked dogs.”  
“Dogs are strong, and loyal, and fierce protectors,” Selene said simply, rubbing each dog under the muzzle. “All right, go back to your posts,” she told them. “We’ll be back later, so watch for us.”  
The dogs whimpered slightly, then turned and trotted off in the direction from which they had come.  
“You weren’t really talking to them?” Erika wanted to know.  
“Why not?” Selene shrugged. “They’re smarter than most humans.”  
They found the front gate locked, but after a quick check to make sure no one was around, the two vampires vaulted over the twelve foot high fence, Selene first, to show Erika how easy it was, then Erika followed.  
They made their way to an adjacent parking garage, where Selene began looking for a suitable vehicle. She stopped in front of an older, nondescript sedan among the seemingly endless lines of new SUVs and light trucks.  
“This should do,” Selene nodded approvingly.  
“We’re going to steal a car?”  
“Just borrow it for a little while.”  
“Why this one?”  
“Older vehicles are a lot easier to hotwire.”  
Selene was about to force the lock on the door when Erika asked, “Selene… are you planning on driving?”  
“What, worried that I’ll get us into a wreck?”  
“No, only the driver’s side is over here.”  
Selene swallowed a moue of irritation and walked around to the opposite side of the vehicle. Still angrier than she let on, she pulled up hard on the door handle – and it broke off in her hand.  
“Well, at least that opened the door,” Erika observed, trying to see the bright side of things.  
Muttering curses under her breath, Selene slid into the driver’s seat, tossing the broken handle in the cup holder. After a few moments, she had successfully ripped out the wires under the steering column and tripped the ignition. She unlocked the passenger side door for Erika, who was waiting patiently.  
“So what are we looking for?” Selene asked as Erika slipped inside.  
“Any large shopping mall, with department stores.”  
“Any idea where to start?”  
“I’m hoping, once we’re on the main roads, we’ll spot one as we drive along.” As Selene glowered at her, Erika said defensively, “Hey! It’s not like I’ve had time to buy a map or anything.”  
Selene relented. “All right. Let’s see what we can find.”  
She cautiously backed the sedan out of its parking space, still slightly disoriented from having to drive on the “wrong” side of the vehicle. They found the exit easily enough; and apparently, whoever owned the car had a passkey for getting in and out of the garage. Erika found it in the glove compartment while Selene considered ramming the gate. A moment later, they pulled out onto a dark side street.  
Almost immediately, they had to swerve to avoid hitting another vehicle, and Selene growled angrily, “Americans! They drive on the wrong side of the road, too,” and quickly swerved again to enter the correct lane.  
“Selene?”  
“What?”  
“Relax.”  
Selene took a deep breath and calmed herself. “Sorry,” she apologized. “I guess I’m a little bit edgy.”  
“It’s okay,” Erika said sympathetically. “I am too.”  
Without too much searching, they found what appeared to be a main highway, and turned onto the next available entrance ramp. “Downtown Seattle,” Erika read aloud from the road signs. “You drive – I’ll watch for stores.”  
Selene, who was not used to driving in what she described as a “mortal” manner, seethed with frustration as she edged the vehicle through the light traffic on the road. Fortunately, her torment was short lived, as Erika spotted a nearby mall and they made their way to the freeway exit, and then to the parking lot.  
As Selene parked the car a discreet distance from the front entrance, she shut off the ignition and leaned back in the driver’s seat, sighing with vexation.  
“That was kind of fun,” Erika suggested.  
“Do you want to drive next?” Selene growled.  
“Absolutely not,” Erika laughed. “Come on. You’ll feel better once you’ve done some shopping. I always do. What time is it?”  
Selene glanced at the dashboard. “If this clock is right, it’s just after seven.”  
“Good. Dinnertime for mortals. A good time for us.”  
As they got out of the car, Erika stared at Selene.  
“What is it?” Selene asked.  
Erika walked over to her companion and put her hand up to Selene’s head. “What?” Selene asked. Erika began running her fingers through Selene’s dark, tousled hair.  
“Let’s stand in the rain for a minute,” she suggested.  
“Whatever for?”  
“Selene… we’ve been sleeping in a crate for two months. And we look like it. Let the rain wash a little of the grime off us first.”  
Selene tried to wave Erika’s hands away, but Erika insisted gently, “Don’t fuss. We want to attract as little attention as possible. Even if you walk in soaking wet, that won’t be so bad. I don’t suppose you have a comb on you?” she asked hopefully, and Selene’s glower was an answer in the negative.  
Erika fixed their coiffure as best she could, and a few minutes later, they entered the store using the entrance in the women’s section. As Erika had hoped, there was no one about.  
“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” Selene muttered.  
“Needs must,” Erika answered evenly. “Now remember, just two outfits apiece, and coats and shoes. If we’re forced to be thieves, let’s be honest thieves and take only what we need.”  
“So what are we looking for?” Selene asked, bemused.  
Erika sighed. “Selene, how long has it been since you’ve worn anything besides a Death Dealer uniform?”  
“I wear other things too,” Selene answered defensively.  
“Oh, really. Such as?”  
“Well, I…” Selene frowned. “I’m pretty sure I have some dark slacks. And a dark blouse. At least… I think I do,” she said uncertainly.  
“Uh-huh. Well, if you’re really that lost, you’d better let me dress you. If you can stand that.”  
“That all depends on what you pick out,” Selene retorted.  
Erika grinned. “Don’t worry. For this trip, we want to blend in, not stand out.”  
“What if one of the sales clerks comes over?” Selene glanced around anxiously.  
“Ask for help. If nothing else, ask for directions to the changing room,” Erika answered. “We’re trying on all this stuff on before we walk off with any of it. I’m done with clothes that only sort of fit.” She held up a light grey, ribbed sweater blouse with a high neck. “Oh, yes,” she gushed, holding the garment up to Selene’s breastbone. “Put this with a jacket and some dark slacks, it’ll be perfect for you.”  
“I’m so glad you’re having a good time,” Selene grumbled.  
“We need to get you out of that uniform straight away,” Erika observed, and seeing that Selene was about to protest, added quickly, “You’ll attract too much attention otherwise. Even if you’re wearing store clothes, we can say you’re just testing the fit.”  
For the next hour, Selene gamely allowed Erika to dress her in any number of outfits; true to her word, Erika picked out conservative fashions that would help them blend in unobtrusively in almost any setting. To mollify Selene, Erika also tried to select combinations with darker colors and no patterns, which seemed to be her companion’s preference. At one point, a sales clerk did wander over, and Erika didn’t bat an eye; the girl was young, and disinterested in her work, and sent away with a few quiet words and a sweet smile.  
After they’d picked out blouses, slacks and jackets, Erika selected functional purses for each of them.  
“What am I going to do with this?” Selene regarded the purse with complete disdain.  
“Purses have their uses. You never know.”  
“I could stuff a rat in one, I suppose,” Selene sniffed. “Or a gun, if I had one.”  
“Oh, stop. Now you’re just being petulant.”  
Shoes were another matter. Blouses, slacks and jackets Erika could resist; but it took her some little effort to bypass elegant boots and sandals in favor of something more functional. Selene learned that her companion had an obsession with stylish footwear.  
“Just look at those boots!” Erika was almost drooling.  
Selene shrugged. “They’re nice enough.”  
“Oh, come on, aren’t they gorgeous?”  
“I thought we were trying to blend in,” Selene reminded her.  
With a heavy sigh, Erika set the boots aside. “You’re right,” she admitted, but not without great reluctance.  
In spite of the shoe aisle trap, Erika remained focused on the task at hand. She found simple cotton undergarments for them, warm, soft and easily cleaned, and socks and hose. They each picked out a pair of boots that were sensible and practical, and could double as dress shoes in most situations yet still resist the inclement Seattle weather. They each found a coat for outerwear; Selene found a long black coat that reminded her of the one she used to own, and actually smiled as she tried it on and found it a comfortable fit. Nearing the end of their excursion, Selene’s black mood had lifted a little.  
“I’m glad you made me try this on,” Selene admitted, appreciating the fabric of her shirt as she shrugged herself into a jacket to test the match. “This feels really nice.”  
“Be careful,” Erika warned, smiling, “You’re in danger of beginning to enjoy yourself.”  
Selene’s face clouded over again. “Oh, don’t sulk,” Erika chided gently, tugging at Selene’s jacket and inspecting the fit carefully. “You look beautiful. You really do.”  
Erika’s admiration was so sincere that Selene could hardly stay angry.  
“All right,” she relented. “Now that we’ve found our clothes, how are we getting out of here with them?”  
“Leave that to me.” Erika took one of the bundles from Selene’s hands. “You’d better change back into your uniform now. But stay out of sight, if you can.”  
“What are you going to do?”  
“Convince the cashier we’ve paid for these, of course. We’ll have her remove all the security tags for us, and then we’ll walk out with the clothes like any other customer.”  
“You’re not serious.”  
“Oh, absolutely.”  
“You make a habit of this, do you?”  
“Never in my life,” Erika declared. “Now, go get changed! Hurry! While it’s still quiet. We can’t pull this off if there are too many people around.”  
To Selene’s amazement, Erika pulled off their heist just as she said they would, going through the motions of a paying customer, and only at the very end of the transaction, fascinating the poor young cashier just long enough to collect the bagged items, and saunter casually away.  
“I have to say, that was one of the most brazen uses of fascination I’ve ever seen,” Selene announced, as they walked across the parking lot. A light drizzle had replaced the earlier rain, and Selene sniffed the air suspiciously; another storm was rolling in, heavy rain was not far off.  
“It worked, didn’t it?” Erika answered.  
“Why didn’t you have her empty the cash register while you’re at it? We don’t have any money.”  
“Oh, stop it.”  
“You enjoyed that,” Selene pressed.  
“I enjoyed shopping for clothes,” Erika admitted. “But the stealing part? No. I’m a vicar’s daughter, for goodness’ sake.”  
“Is that true?” Selene asked in surprise. “Your father is a vicar?”  
“My mortal dad? Yes, he is. Or rather, he was.” Erika’s voice grew wistful. “The last time I saw him, he was studying to become a history professor.”  
“Hey!” yelled a voice from across the parking lot.  
“It seems our little crime spree has not gone unnoticed,” Selene commented drily, as a figure near the store entrance was waving frantically at them. “Do we run?”  
“Oh, absolutely.”  
In an eye blink, the two vampires disappeared into the darkness, sprinting away faster than any mortal eye could follow.  
A few minutes later, they were back on the freeway; only moments after leaving the store, rain began falling heavily. Selene turned on the defrosters and as heat began to seep into the front of the vehicle, they both relaxed somewhat.  
“Well, that’s the first item on the agenda out of the way,” Erika declared.  
“Good thing too,” Selene agreed sourly. “Now what?”  
“How are you holding up?” Erika asked with genuine concern.  
“I’m fine,” Selene said noncommittally.  
“You’re a lousy liar.”  
Selene fixed her companion with a glare.  
“Seriously, are you okay to keep moving?” Erika asked. “I have one other trip in mind for tonight.”  
“What’s that?”  
“To find food. I think we can risk one of the local hospitals.”  
Selene shrugged; it was all the same to her. “We could take a mortal instead.”  
“Hey,” Erika chided. “We don’t want the mortal authorities searching for us our first night here, do we?”  
“They already are,” Selene reminded her companion grimly.  
“Well, shoplifting and murder are two different offenses. We can get away with the one. I’d rather not risk the other.”  
Selene frowned, lost in thought.  
“What is it?” Erika asked.  
“I’m just thinking, what are we going to do tomorrow night? Or the night after that? We can’t just make a trip to local hospital every time we need blood. Even if we used fascination on every mortal we came into contact with, sooner or later, the thefts would be noticed.”  
“Maybe we have to spread ourselves around the local blood banks and hospitals.”  
“That’s a short term solution. What about long term? What about two months from now? What about two years?”  
Erika sighed. “I don’t know,” she said honestly. “I never realized how nice it was, having everything provided for us by the coven.”  
“Me, either,” Selene admitted.  
“I think for now, we just need to take things one day at a time,” Erika said after some consideration. “I mean, we’ve done all right up to now, haven’t we?”  
Selene gave a noncommittal shrug of the shoulders.  
“I think the next thing we need to worry about is a place to live,” Erika suggested. “A real place. We don’t want to live in that warehouse any longer than we have to.”  
“No argument there. Did you have something in mind?”  
“I don’t know yet,” Erika said honestly. “Maybe, once we’ve had a chance to properly explore, something will suggest itself.” She frowned, looking out the window. “Hey, pull over at the next exit.”  
“Found something?”  
“I saw a sign for a hospital. Looks like a big one.”  
“Then let’s go see.”  
They turned off the freeway, and made their way hesitantly through the side streets. Even in clear weather, it would have been hard enough to navigate; but the sheets of rain obscured even immortal vision, making the task all the more difficult. Still, Selene managed to find a parking lot reasonably close to the hospital entrance. She shut the motor off, and they sat for a long moment, listening to the rain beating on the roof of the car.  
“Are you sure you want to go through with this?” Selene asked.  
“Selene, if I have to eat another rat, ever, I think I’ll scream.”  
Selene managed a faint smile. “They do taste awful,” she admitted. “All right. Let’s do this.”  
It was half-past ten when the two immortals entered the lobby of the hospital, shaking off the rain that had drenched them to the skin, even in the few steps it had taken to run from the car to the door. No receptionist was on duty, and the lobby was deserted.  
Selene studied the map on the near wall. She grimaced in frustration. “Well, I suppose it was too much to ask, for the location of the blood bank to be listed,” she sighed.  
“We don’t want the blood bank anyway.”  
“We don’t?”  
“No. Most likely, the central storage area is off limits to all but hospital staff with passkeys.”  
“So we steal a passkey.”  
Erika shook her head. “I think there’s an easier way to do this.”  
“Like what?”  
“Almost every floor of this hospital should have smaller amounts of blood supplies scattered around for immediate use, probably somewhere near the nurses’ stations. Those supplies won’t be guarded and maybe not even locked. With any luck, we can just slip in and out without anyone seeing us.”  
Selene’s brow furrowed in skepticism.  
“It’s better than ransacking the main bank and causing a ruckus,” Erika pointed out. “We need to use stealth more than anything else. We may need to come back here again – maybe lots of times. Besides, we’re not planning to walk out with tens of gallons of blood tucked under each arm. It’s not like we have any place to store it.”  
Selene shrugged; she couldn’t disagree. “So where do we start? Do we just pick a floor?”  
“Well, one with recovering patients, yes.” Erika ran her fingers along the map. “Let’s try… the fourth floor.”  
“You just picked that out of the air, didn’t you?”  
“Yes,” Erika grinned.  
They crossed the lobby to the elevators and Erika pressed the “UP” button. After several anxious moments, a muted “ding” signaled the arrival of the car. The doors slid open. Exhaling a nervous sigh, Erika stepped aboard, and Selene followed.  
On the fourth floor, they found themselves surrounded by wide aisles leading off in apparently incongruent directions, all of them labeled with a range of patient room numbers. Erika glanced to Selene, and then nodded. They set off down one of the corridors, trying as best they could to affect a natural gait.  
At an intersection of two wide hallways, Selene indicated wordlessly that she would sentry herself while Erika checked out the remainder of the passage. So far, they had seen no one, but in a large hospital, they could not hope for that luck to hold out indefinitely.  
Erika padded forward silently, listening intently to everything around her. To her surprise, she found that if she concentrated, she could hear every sound, down to the breathing of nearly every mortal in the immediate area – even those in private rooms, with doors closed. Just ahead was a nurses’ station. Two middle aged women were chatting amiably to each other, not looking in Erika’s direction. A small break room was to Erika’s left, and she slipped inside.  
The break room was small, with a round table, two chairs, a squat refrigerator, coffee maker, microwave oven and toaster. Various single serve bags of tea and coffee, sugar and cream were scattered on the counter. Erika opened the refrigerator and found it stocked with containers of jello, apple and other fruit juices, chicken and beef broth in microwaveable containers, some cans of soda and individually wrapped butter pats.  
Sighing, she closed the refrigerator door quietly. Another door, with a small vertical window inset just above the handle, led to an adjacent room. A placard on the door read “Authorized Staff Only”. Erika glanced inside through the tiny window. This room, like the first, was small and square but had two large refrigerators. Erika felt her heart leap with hope. She tried the door handle, and to her chagrin, found it locked. She glanced around, wondering if she could or should force the lock. _After all,_ she reminded herself, _you don’t really know what’s in there._  
Hunger made the decision for her. She grasped the door handle tightly, and, praying the noise would not be overheard, wrenched it. There was a soft musical “ping” as the lock mechanism snapped. Erika froze and didn’t breathe for a moment. She listened carefully: she could still hear the soft ululations of conversation at the nurses’ station, the voices measured and steady. She hadn’t been overheard. Letting out a sigh of relief, Erika opened the door and stepped inside.  
At the far end of the hall, Selene watched anxiously for any sign of activity. She froze as she spotted a man coming down the hall from the opposite direction. He was apparently a doctor, or at the very least one of the medical staff. He stopped in mid-stride to make a note on a clipboard he was carrying. He hadn’t looked up, and he hadn’t seen her. But he was nearly at the door where she’d seen Erika enter.  
_Keep moving,_ Selene muttered silently to herself. _Keep moving. Nothing to see here._  
Selene’s heart almost stopped as the man pivoted on his heel and entered the door. Alarmed, Selene glanced around, not sure if she should follow. The man might just be going for coffee; if so, she was sure that Erika could talk her way out of any problems. On the other hand, if her companion were to be caught with drip bags in her hands, there would be trouble. Her growing panic won out, and Selene strode down the corridor, trying desperately not to run.  
Erika tried the handle on the first refrigerator door, only to grunt in surprise as the door would not open. Then she noticed a punch key lock mounted just above the handle.  
“Oh, for Murphy’s sake!” she muttered in vexation. She decided to risk forcing open the door. After all, she thought, they wouldn’t lock up the urine samples… would they?  
Erika pushed her fingers in between the door and the wall of the refrigerator, next to the lock; and with a gentle tug, snapped the latch that kept the door secured. Sighing in relief, Erika opened the door. Inside, dozens of one and two liter IV bags were hung neatly in rows. The drip bags were arranged broadly by category; saline, plasma, filtered red blood and whole blood.  
“Eureka!” Erika exclaimed.  
“Excuse me… Miss? What are you doing in here?” a man’s voice asked.  
Erika felt her heart leap up into her throat. Turning around, she found herself face to face with a tall, thin, balding man with deep set blue eyes and greying temples, his eyes appearing unnaturally wide in the lenses of his glasses. The man’s eyes darted from Erika’s terrified face to the two drip bags of whole blood she clutched in her hands and back again.  
Before the man could say anything, Erika’s blue eyes flashed with immortal fire, a burning cobalt ice light – and the man’s face went from worry and concern to complete blank.  
“You haven’t seen me,” Erika murmured in her soft, low immortal voice. “There’s no one here.”  
“There’s no one here,” the man repeated numbly.  
Struck by a sudden inspiration, Erika grabbed the man’s passkey card and held it up so she could read it. Underneath the man’s picture was printed: _Randall Halloway - Hematology._  
“Doctor Halloway?” Erika asked for confirmation, still speaking in her soothing immortal voice.  
“Yes,” the doctor answered, with no inflection in his speech.  
“You work in the hematology department?”  
The doctor seemed bemused by the question. “In the specimen laboratory. I’m the senior administrator.”  
“Are you indeed,” Erika smiled craftily. “You might just be my knight in shining armor, Randall Halloway. Tell me – ”  
At that moment, Selene appeared behind them in the doorway, a panicked look on her face. Frantically, Erika waved her off and Selene froze, not even daring to breathe.  
“Tell me, Doctor Halloway, do you have any openings on your staff?” Erika asked.  
Selene noiselessly mouthed the words “What are you doing?” but Erika held up a hand, pleading for patience.  
“There are several openings on both the nursing and laboratory staff,” the man answered tonelessly.  
“I was hoping you might say that,” Erika smiled. “Would any of these positions be on the night shift, by any chance?”  
“Several. Those are always the most difficult positions to fill.”  
“Wonderful! Well, then, Doctor Halloway, you and I will definitely need to have a proper talk – but not tonight. Will you be here tomorrow evening?”  
“Yes.”  
“In that case, you will have an applicant visiting you tomorrow night,” Erika declared. “I look forward to meeting with you then. As for now, you have not seen me. You have checked the supplies and found nothing missing. You understand?”  
“Nothing is missing.”  
“Thank you, Doctor Halloway. You’ve been most helpful. Until tomorrow, then.”  
Erika quickly slipped past Halloway, and motioned to Selene to make for the door. Selene nodded, and the two vampires quickly exited the building; by some miracle, they encountered no one else on their way to the parking lot.  
“What was all that about?” Selene wanted to know, as the piled back into the car.  
“I’m just trying to think long term,” Erika said simply.  
The immortals returned to the warehouse an hour before dawn, parking the sedan in the same spot from which they’d taken it. Once inside the warehouse yard, it took Erika two tries to make the standing leap from the ground to the top of the roof; once she’d done it, however, she was elated – Selene could only marvel at the fact that Erika had no idea she could even do that. They slipped inside through the vent, and Selene replaced the fan grates and removed the crossbar that held the blades in place, while Erika carefully folded their new clothes and stowed them in the shopping bags for safekeeping. Back in their loft hideaway, Erika handed Selene one of the blood bags, and they both seated themselves, ready to dine. Selene looked up as Erika bared her fangs, clearly intending to bite through the heavy plastic.  
“Erika, not like that,” Selene admonished. “You’ll have blood all over yourself. Here.” She tilted one end of the bag up. “Break off the end cap, there, where the drip line gets inserted. You can drink out of it like a straw.”  
Erika did as Selene suggested, then the two of them bent to their meals, greedily draining the contents. Neither of them looked up until the bags were completely empty.  
“Oh my God,” Erika murmured, feeling the warm flush run to her face. “I had no idea I was that hungry. I could drink another whole bag without any problem at all.”  
“Me, too,” Selene admitted, carefully wiping her fingers and licking her lips. Erika noted again that Selene was a fastidious eater, not a single drop had been spilled. Selene held up the now emptied pouch and regarded it critically. “We’ll need to find some way to dispose of these,” she commented.  
“Yes, we will,” Erika agreed. “But I don’t think we need to worry about them right this minute.”  
“I suppose not.” Selene settled back against the wall, trying to make herself as comfortable as she could. “So, do you want to tell me what that was all about?”  
“All what?”  
“That mortal. At the hospital. The doctor.”  
“Yes. I’m going to go see him tomorrow night. I’m going to ask him for a job.”  
“You’re not serious.”  
“Absolutely.”  
“Whatever for?” Selene seemed baffled.  
“Think about it, Selene. If I have access to the hospital as a member of the staff, we can get blood any time we need it, with a lot less grief than we went through tonight.”  
Selene shook her head numbly. “It just seems like – well, such a mortal thing to do,” she said finally.  
Erika’s round face broke into a wide grin. “Exactly. And mortal is what we’re pretending to be.”  
“You’re pretending, you mean,” Selene corrected her.  
Erika was unperturbed. “If it works, we won’t have to worry about our food supply.”  
“Food and shelter,” Selene agreed, looking out over the warehouse floor with a moue of distaste. “The two critical needs. I think our current shelter leaves a little to be desired.” She listened to the rain pelting on the roof only a few inches above them. “At least the roof doesn’t leak.”  
Erika nodded. “Once we’re done at the hospital tomorrow night, that’s our next challenge to deal with.”  
Selene almost smiled. “You want to go house hunting?”  
“As a matter of fact, I do.” She frowned with concern as she noticed Selene shivered. “Are you cold?”  
Selene frowned in puzzlement. “Yes. It’s odd – I never used to notice the cold before.”  
“Come and lie down,” Erika ordered, spreading out one of the blankets for a bed. Uncharacteristically, Selene made no argument and lay down as soon as Erika had their makeshift bed prepared. As Selene lay down, Erika snuggled beside her, putting her arms around her and pressing herself against Selene’s back.  
“You don’t have to do that,” Selene said.  
“I know.” Erika pulled up another blanket over them both. “You’ll be warm soon. I’m sorry, Selene. I shouldn’t have kept you out so late.”  
“It’s fine,” Selene murmured, already drowsy.  
The rain had hardly slackened, and this close to the roof, its loud, ceaseless drumming blended into a dull, steady roar, like ocean surf.  
“So what kind of house would you like?” Erika whispered as she nuzzled Selene from behind. “Red brick, white picket fence, summer roses?”  
“Warm, dry, clean and safe,” Selene murmured sleepily. “That’s all I care about.”  
“Good choice,” Erika agreed with a yawn. In moments, they were both fast asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

_Playing Mortal_

The following evening, just after dark, Selene and Erika returned to the hospital. Erika insisted that they wear their old clothes to the hospital, bringing their new outfits in a bag, intending to change only after they’d arrived. Selene was bemused by the request but didn’t argue. When they entered the hospital lobby, however, Erika did not head for the administrator’s office. Instead, she crossed the lobby to the elevators and pressed the “UP” button.  
“Where are we going?” Selene asked.  
“Something else I thought about, when we were here last night,” Erika explained. “I’m going for a job interview. I really, really need to take a bath.”  
“A bath?” Selene was clearly puzzled. “Here?”  
“Just follow me.”  
When the elevator reached the fourth floor, Erika checked to make sure the hallway was clear, then slipped across the hall and opened one of the doors just past the waiting area. She beckoned Selene to follow. Hesitantly, Selene slipped in the door behind her.  
The interior of the room was dimly lit, with recessed lighting. A large, king size bed took up most of the floor, with a sturdy couch on the far wall and two end tables. A small television hung from the ceiling, where it could be viewed from the bed.  
“What is this place?” Selene asked.  
“Guest suite, for families visiting terminally ill patients.”  
“Erika, are you crazy? What if someone walks in here?”  
“No one will bother us, Selene. If the suite was booked, someone would already be in here. And we’re only going to be here long enough to shower and change.”  
Erika slipped through a side door and flipped on the light. Beyond was a small bathroom, with toilet, sink and shower stall.  
“Perfect,” Erika announced, and started shrugging herself out of her clothes. “Do you want to join me?”  
Selene was too flabbergasted to think of a response, and Erika smiled. “It’s all right. I don’t have time to play tonight. I have a job interview in less than an hour. And I can barely stand myself. The only bathing I’ve had since we arrived in Seattle is getting drenched in the rain, or using the sink in the warehouse lavvy. I’m dying for a little soap and hot water.”  
Selene had heard Erika make such comments before, but never to her; and she never knew quite what to make of Erika’s flirtations. Seeing that she had made Selene uncomfortable, Erika added, “Look, I’ll go first, so I can go see Doctor Halloway. While I have my interview, you can bathe and meet me in the lobby later. Trust me. You’ll feel better after you’ve had a hot shower.”  
Now completely naked, Erika threw her clothes on the bed and slipped inside the bathroom door and closed it behind her. Moments later, Selene could hear the sound of running water. Sighing, Selene sat down on the bed and started laying out their good outfits.  
Erika emerged not quite ten minutes later, drying off with a towel, not bothering to cover herself. She sighed happily. “That felt _wonderful,”_ she purred. “I could have stayed in there an hour.” She glanced at Selene. “You’d better hurry and get undressed. The less time we spend in here, the less chance we’ll get caught.”  
Reluctantly, Selene unclasped her throat collar and began to unzip her uniform.  
“The soap doesn’t make very good shampoo,” Erika said, casually flinging her wet towel onto the couch and sitting on the bed next to her new outfit. “But it’s better than nothing. Well, go on, hurry up,” she urged. “We haven’t got all night, you know.”  
Shyly, Selene turned away as she stripped down her uniform. Erika merely grinned. “Don’t worry. You’ll feel so much better afterward. I promise.”  
As Erika shrugged herself into her new clothes, she added, “I’ll pack up our dirty clothes before I go. Will you please take them down to the car when you leave? And then I’ll meet you in the lobby as soon as I’m done.”  
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Selene asked, not comfortable that they should separate.  
“I’ll be fine. I’m going to present my credentials to Doctor Halloway, and after that we can go house hunting.”  
Erika was already packing her old outfit and held out her hand for Selene’s uniform. Feeling distinctly ill at ease, Selene retreated to the bathroom long enough to grab a towel for strategic placement before handing her garments to Erika.  
“You’re going to use fascination on him, aren’t you?” Selene asked.  
Erika hesitated. “If I have to,” she admitted finally. “I’m hoping it won’t come to that.”  
“Erika, that won’t help us,” Selene remonstrated. “The fascination will wear off, moments after you leave. What then?”  
“Well, hopefully, by then I’ll already have the job, and as long as I can show them I can do the work, it shouldn’t matter.” She finished folding the clothing, and except for Selene’s boots, had all the garments now neatly folded in the shopping bag. Selene’s only response was a sour glare.  
“Selene, if this doesn’t work, we haven’t lost anything by trying,” Erika pointed out.  
Selene sighed. “All right. But if you’re not downstairs in twenty minutes, I’m coming after you.”  
“Make it an hour, please,” Erika said. “I’m going for a job interview, I might be asked to stay and answer a few questions.”  
Selene clearly did not approve, but she also could not think of a convincing counter argument.  
“Promise me you’ll be careful,” she pleaded.  
“I promise,” Erika declared forthrightly, and as she slipped past Selene, she gave her a kiss on the cheek. “See you soon,” she whispered, breezing out of the room.  
Selene felt so flustered, she did not know what to think. _Why does she do that?_ she wondered to herself. Then, shaking her head as if to clear it, she stepped into the bathroom and shut the door behind her.  
Fifteen minutes later, Selene emerged from the shower, and grudgingly had to admit that Erika was right. The hot water and soap had felt wonderful on her skin, and she did indeed feel considerably better. Dressing quickly in her new outfit, the dark grey sweater blouse and black slacks, Selene studied herself in the mirror critically. She looked tired, in her own estimation, but in these clothes she could pass for a mortal woman easily. Erika had done her camouflage work well. She shrugged herself into her new long coat and boots and felt more like herself than she had since… she couldn’t really remember.  
To her immense relief, Selene was able to slip from the guest suite without being seen, and quickly returned to the parking lot. She put the bag with their dirty clothes in the back seat, then returned to the lobby. She hesitated before entering, and instead lingered in the tiny garden that was adjacent to the main entrance, hugging the shadows as best she could and shivering in the damp cold. More than once, she almost decided to wait inside – but her mistrust won out. Inside, she felt it more likely she might be approached by a mortal, and she wanted to remain unapproachable. For now.  
After pacing apprehensively back and forth along the sidewalk for several minutes, Selene decided to risk scanning for any other immortal presence. If they were going to find themselves competing with other vampires for food supply, now was as good a time as any to find that out. Concealing herself in the darkest corner she could, she closed her eyes and began to concentrate. Her awareness began to expand, slowly taking in her immediate surroundings, her perceptions sharpening until she perceived the life forces of the mortals around her as unique patterns of energy. She scanned for several minutes, and to her relief, found nothing but humans and other forms of mortal life. No Lycans, and no other immortals. No evidence that any of her kind were anywhere nearby, or that any had been in the immediate area recently. The only immortal presence she could detect was Erika, whose life force stood out like a beacon in an otherwise dark room. Selene relaxed slightly.  
Selene gave Erika her promised hour, then ten minutes more; then, starting to become genuinely worried, she made for the lobby entrance. At that moment, Erika walked out, a bright smile on her face.  
“Well, congratulate me,” she announced, her face beaming with pleasure.  
“And for what, exactly, am I congratulating you?” Selene wanted to know.  
“You are now looking at the newest member of Doctor Halloway’s lab staff.”  
“You did it,” Selene said, shaking her head in disbelief.  
“I did it,” Erika grinned.  
“Did you have to use fascination on him?”  
“Well…”  
“Erika!”  
“A little.”  
“How little?”  
“Only enough to make him think he’d already run a background check on me.” Erika could see that Selene was about to argue. “I didn’t think it would help us, if mortals started making too many inquiries about either of us. As far as we know, no one knows we’re here. There’s no point in helping them find that out, is there?”  
“You know the fascination will wear off,” Selene countered. “What are you going to do, hypnotize him every night when you show up for work?”  
“I hope not,” Erika said with apparent sincerity. “He seems really nice.”  
Selene could barely conceal her exasperation. “Erika, he’s a human. A mortal.”  
“Come on,” Erika protested. “I did good. This wasn’t easy, you know. And I think we need to do what any mortal does, when they find themselves a new job.”  
“What’s that?”  
“Have a drink and celebrate, of course!”  
She opened her purse and flashed its contents: she had squeezed an entire two liter bag of whole blood into the main compartment.  
“And you thought purses weren’t good for anything,” she sang playfully.  
Erika practically sashayed out to the parking lot, singing happily, quite pleased with herself. Selene, after a moment’s hesitation, following with a moue of disapproval darkening her features.  
They shared their meal in a nearby park, discreetly passing the plastic pouch between them while watching the passerby. No one took any apparent notice of them, and Selene relaxed somewhat. A light drizzle started up, and Selene sniffed the air. Heavier rain was on the way, and soon.  
“It rains here a lot, doesn’t it?” she asked.  
Erika shrugged. “It rained a lot back home too.”  
“I suppose that’s true,” Selene reflected. “I never used to notice.”  
“You were busy worrying about other things,” Erika said simply, sucking on the feed line like a straw. “Ugh. I really wish I could pour this into a glass. Or even a cup.”  
Selene smiled. “Don’t worry, you haven’t even begun to live rough,” she promised. “There are a lot of young people around here, aren’t there?”  
Erika glanced around. “We’re near the campus of a big university. There’s bound to be lots of students coming and going.” She passed the purse back to Selene.  
Selene examined the contents. There was almost a third of a bag left. “Are you sure you don’t want the rest?” she asked.  
“No. You’ve been sick. You need it more than I do.”  
Selene didn’t argue. “Thank you,” she said gratefully, and quickly gulped down the last few ounces. “So, what’s next? Are we going to sit on the park bench and people watch all night?”  
“No. It’s time to go house hunting.” She stood up and brushed herself off. “And we need to hurry. Most mortals will be off the streets by one, so if we’re going to make any contacts, we’ll need to find them in the next couple of hours.”  
“Contacts for what?”  
“You’ll see.” Erika smiled sweetly. “Trust me.”  
Not quite an hour later, Selene found herself in a nightclub, which, to Selene’s eyes, was a nicer one, clean and attractive, as far as such things went, although her own experience with such things was extremely limited; and to her sensitive vampire hearing, the place was almost unbearably loud.  
“Erika, what exactly are we doing here?” Selene had to speak in a near shout to be heard over the amplified music.  
“We need to find some mortal contacts. One of the best places to look for mortals after dark is a place like this.”  
Erika had obviously spent some little time in nightclubs when she was mortal. Selene decided she had to take such statements at face value.  
“The clientele here are mostly young professional people.” Erika kept her lips close to Selene’s ear so she could speak without shouting. “They’re high enough on the economic ladder to have some measure of financial stability. Which is just the sort of people we need.”  
“You still haven’t answered my question. What are we doing here? Why do we need mortals?”  
“We need contacts – people who can help us find a place to live.”  
“We can do that on our own, surely.”  
“I don’t know about you, Selene, but I’m not a revenant. Abandoned churches and dilapidated warehouses are not my idea of a place to live.” Fearing the comment might have sounded like some sort of criticism directed at Selene, she added quickly, “I want to be able to sleep in a warm bed, have closets for clothes, someplace dry and comfortable with hot running water. I don’t mind having to work for that.”  
“So, you’re just going to walk up to people, and ask them for a place to live?”  
“Not exactly, but you’re not far off.” Erika studied her companion appraisingly. “You’ve never done this before, have you?”  
“Done what?”  
“Gone out to a club, or a bar, or a restaurant – anywhere – just to meet people.”  
“No,” Selene admitted.  
“I thought not. You’re still using fascination at full blast. I’ll bet everyone in this club thinks I’m talking to a wall.”  
“You’re not using fascination?” Selene seemed horrified.  
“We want to be seen, Selene, remember? We can’t talk to anyone if they can’t see us.”  
“I know, but – ”  
“You’re so used to using fascination only for camouflage. It has other uses, too. This is one of them.”  
“You’re just going to walk up to mortals and start talking to them?” The concept seemed utterly alien to Selene.  
“Not just anyone. You have to learn to read them, Selene. Their posture – their gestures – they all give signs and signals if they want to be approached. You read the signs as a way of asking permission. You’re a hunter. You must know this. I would think you’d be far better at this than I am.”  
“Working as a Death Dealer is different,” Selene objected uncomfortably. “I tracked mortals and immortals alike. But not to meet them. Not for talking.”  
Erika smiled. “I think you will find that your hunting skills, with just a slight change of application, will be invaluable to you in this kind of environment. We are hunting, Selene. We’re hunting for friendship, for support – a safety net.”  
Selene spread her hands in a helpless gesture. “I – I don’t know how to do this, Erika,” she confessed.  
“It’s all right.” Erika gave Selene her warmest smile. “You’ve helped me so much these last few days. It pleases me that I can do something in return for you. Now, park yourself in the corner and pay attention to what I do. This is really easy. You’ll see.”  
Selene, bemused, seated herself at a small, vacant table in the far corner. From this vantage point, she could see most of the main floor of the club. Erika glided through the room, completely at ease, and within moments was happily chatting with a handsome young man at the bar. To Selene, this interaction seemed a sort of arcane magic of which she had no practical understanding. Erika made these things seem so effortless. In a few minutes, Erika returned with a drink in hand.  
“He’s not going to be able to help us,” she reported. “But I’ll keep working the floor. If I come across someone who might be able to help, I’ll wave you over. Okay?” She handed the drink to Selene.  
“What is this?” Selene asked, baffled.  
“It’s part of your camouflage,” Erika explained. “You look uncomfortable and out of place.”  
“I am uncomfortable and out of place,” Selene retorted, feeling utterly miserable.  
“Don’t worry. Just watch me. I’ll teach you how to move and react in this kind of environment. You don’t realize it yet, but soon you’ll be a natural at this kind of hunting, too. In fact, once you’ve learned the basics, you’ll be better at it than I am.” Erika squared her shoulders. “All right. Once more around the floor. I’ll be back soon.”  
Selene sniffed at the drink suspiciously. “Erika, what is this?”  
“What else could it be?” Erika called over her shoulder. “It’s a Bloody Mary.”  
The evening wore on. Erika tirelessly worked the crowd, drifting in and out of knots of mortals with no apparent effort. Selene watched in a sort of stupefied amazement. Erika was right; if she concentrated hard enough, she could sense which mortals were open to approach and which had closed themselves off. Still, the practiced ease with which Erika made introductions and small talk and subtle queries for information without ever once seeming to be doing so – it was an art unto itself, and Erika was a master artiste. No wonder she had been so well liked at the coven. Selene realized for the first time that Erika worked hard at it. She was so young; how in the world had she acquired such skills so quickly?  
Selene reflected she’d always lived in isolation, even as a mortal. At her family’s farm, as a girl, trips into town were rare events – most of her companions had been her immediate family and farm animals. And as a soldier in the coven, she also had – she realized now – a kind of luxury to isolate herself. She could count on the fingers of a hand the immortals with whom she talked on any regular basis over the last two centuries – and in Kraven’s case, even that interaction had been involuntary on Selene’s part. There were no such options here; and her inability to ingratiate or even communicate made her feel small and useless. Worse, crowds this size made her uneasy. If anyone had been able to see her, or worse, speak to her, she might have jumped clear out of her skin.  
Erika had been chatting for some time with a very good looking, although obviously inebriated, young man. Selene frowned in puzzlement, wondering what made this mortal more of an inviting target than any of the others. Erika was laughing easily throughout their conversation, and Selene felt again a pang of envy at the ease with which Erika carried herself in this human world. To distract herself from her feelings, she studied the young man intently. He had a nice enough face, she decided; attractive blue eyes and an easy smile that softened the rougher angles of his cheeks and chin. He had a shock of naturally blonde hair that had been unnaturally coiffed in the fashion common to the mortals of this time. Over the years, Selene had seen all sorts of fashions in hairstyles and dress for both men and woman come and go, and barely noticed them. This young man was more conservatively and traditionally dressed; nice dress shirt, and good slacks to match. He was clean shaven, and, despite his current inebriation, seemed otherwise well groomed and clean. Perhaps Erika’s instincts were correct after all?  
After a few moments, Erika motioned to Selene to join them. Selene left her corner trepidatiously. As Selene approached, Erika murmured in a projected voice that only Selene could hear: “Drop your fascination. He won’t be able to see you otherwise.”  
Selene felt an involuntary pang of fear; without fascination, she felt defenseless. But Erika was right – she couldn’t hide. Closing her eyes for a moment and concentrating, she willed her defenses dormant. If anyone had been looking in her direction at just that moment, she might have seemed to materialize out of thin air.  
“This is Steve,” Erika said by way introduction as Selene reached the table. “Steve, this is my friend, Selene.”  
The young man named Steve was immediately open and obvious in his interest. “Wow. Hello. It’s nice to meet you.”  
Selene must have made an involuntary moue of disgust, because Steve added hastily: “Whoa. I can see you’re not in a party mood tonight. It’s okay. I won’t press.”  
Selene could barely hide her astonishment. Not only had this mortal read her correctly, but realizing she wasn’t interested, he had backed off immediately and without any apparent hard feelings. After so long of dealing with Kraven’s endless and suffocating advances, she hardly knew what to think or feel towards such courtesy, apart from genuine gratitude at not having to fend off another unwanted suitor.  
For the first time that Selene could remember, Erika shot her a quick, disapproving glance; then she turned back to Steve and gave him her warmest smile.  
“Steve thinks he might have a place where we can stay. Isn’t that right, Steve?”  
“Oh – uh – yeah. My grandmother owns a two story over in Capitol Hill, near the Broadway district. It’s an older neighborhood, but it’s pretty nice.”  
“We’re new to the area, Steve. Where is Capitol Hill? Is it anywhere close to the hospital - the one by the University?” Seeing Steve’s puzzled look, Erika explained, “I just got a job there, I wanted to see how far it would be to commute.”  
“Oh. That’s no problem. There are buses that can take you right by the house and to work.”  
“Wonderful. Please tell us about the house.”  
“Oh. Well, Gran wants to let out the top floor again. It’s one of those old houses with a shared landing and double doors in front, so each floor has its own entrance.” He paused a moment, considering the last swallow of scotch in his glass with a predatory leer. Selene’s nose crinkled as she smelled the acrid alcohol vapors from a full three feet away. Steve downed the last of the contents of his glass, then continued. “She hasn’t rented it out in a while. She doesn’t want just any tenant moving in. Most people won’t treat property well if they’re just renting. She’s hoping to find someone who might help her with some fixing up instead of tearing down. And she’s willing to negotiate the price if she finds the right people.” Steve waved at the waitress for another glass. “Gran’s getting on a bit, too, so she needs someone who is willing to do chores for her – laundry, grocery shopping, that sort of thing.”  
“So she’s looking for live-in assistants?”  
“She doesn’t need medical assistance, if that’s what you’re asking. She has a nurse who comes in once a week to take care of her medications and stuff. She just needs help with the errands she can’t do herself. This stuff would all be part of the tenant agreement.”  
“How old is your grandmother?” Erika asked.  
“She’s getting up there. She’ll be eighty-two in July.”  
“Is she confined to the house?”  
“No, not really, but it is getting harder for her to get about now. She still lives on the first floor, but I don’t think she hasn’t been upstairs probably in a couple of years. She keeps a car in the garage, but she doesn’t use it very often.”  
“What’s the upstairs like?”  
“Well, it's basically been converted to be its own apartment. The upstairs has two bedrooms, kitchen, bath, den and great room. I can show it to you, if you think you might be interested.”  
“We’re interested,” Erika assured him, ignoring the anguished glare Selene was projecting at her. “Would it be possible to see the place tonight?”  
Steve laughed. “It’s a little late for that. Gran wants to meet any prospective tenants in person. I could show it to you tomorrow morning, if that’s okay.”  
“Ah… evening would be better for us, if that’s not inconvenient. We have, ah, other commitments during the day.”  
“Suits me,” Steve shrugged. “I plan to spend most of tomorrow morning being hung over anyway. When did you have in mind?”  
“How’s seven o’clock?”  
“That should be fine. I’ll check with Gran in the morning, but I don’t think she’d object.”  
“Great.” Erika gave him her sweetest smile. “If you don’t mind, give me your phone number, and I’ll give you a call before we’re ready to come over.”  
“Mind?” Steve laughed. “Why should I mind, beautiful girls asking me for my phone number? Believe me – it’s not a problem.” He jotted down his number on a cocktail napkin.  
Shortly afterwards, Selene and Erika left the club and headed down the street. The rain had tapered off and was rapidly lightening into drizzle. “Well, it’s a start,” Erika sighed hopefully as they walked along. “If this option doesn’t pan out, we’ll try somewhere else tomorrow night. Oh, and you can stop flashing me those ‘Erika-are-you-insane’ looks. We have to start somewhere.”  
She gave Selene an appraising look, noting her companion’s too-pale complexion and semi-circles of exhaustion darkening under her eyes. “You’re really done in, aren’t you?”  
“I am,” Selene admitted. “I’m sorry. I just don’t seem to have any strength or stamina at all. I don’t know what’s wrong.”  
“It’s all right,” Erika assured her, trying to keep the concern out of her voice. “We’ve made a start for tonight. Let’s get you home and out of the rain.”

* * * 

The following evening, only moments after dusk, Erika sneaked into the warehouse office and called Steve.  
“Steve? Hi. This is Erika – Erika Archer,” she said, hesitating a moment before giving her mortal surname, which she’d lost the habit of using. “You remember, we met last night at the club?”  
“How could I forget?” Steve’s voice came over the line. “Listen, I talked to Gran. She’s fine with meeting you tonight at seven, if that’s still okay with you.”  
“That sounds wonderful, Steve. Just give me the directions where we need to go.”  
After confirming the girls would be coming from the hospital, Steve gave the street address and directions for getting to the house. “I’ll try to be at the house at seven, so I can introduce you to Gran, then show you around.”  
“That’s nice of you, Steve, but you don’t really need to do that.”  
“Uh, actually, I do. At the moment, I have the only keys to the upstairs.”  
“I guess that does make a difference, doesn’t it?” Erika laughed, wondering if Steve had used that as a pretext to see them again. “All right, Steve. We’ll see you at seven. And thank you!”  
Elated, Erika left the office, easily bypassing all the security cameras, whose positions she now knew almost by heart. She practically flew up the ladder to join Selene in the loft.  
Selene was still feeling after-effects from her mysterious illness, and was resting underneath the blankets, trying to conserve energy as much as possible. As Erika pulled herself up onto the platform, Selene poked her head out from under the blankets. “What’s the news?” she asked.  
“I’m so excited!” Erika exclaimed. “We get to look at our first house tonight.”  
“That’s good,” Selene agreed, closing her eyes again. “What time do we need to leave?”  
“In about forty-five minutes.”  
“Can I sleep until then?”  
“Aren’t you feeling any better at all?”  
“I feel fine, just tired is all.”  
“Did you sleep okay during the day?”  
“I slept fine. That’s the strange part. I just feel like I could go on sleeping for days. Weeks or months, even.”  
“Well, you get only forty-five minutes,” Erika said. “After that, you have to get up and get dressed.”  
“Okay. Wake me when it’s time to go,” Selene agreed, and fell almost instantly asleep. Erika watched her companion intently, noting with concern how pale and drawn she looked. They had been out barely six hours the night before, and that had been Selene’s upward limit. Despite her protestations to the contrary, it was obvious Selene was still very sick. Erika offered up a silent prayer, and then lay beside her friend to wait out the time.  
Forty-five minutes later, Erika rolled over and gave Selene a kiss on the cheek. She regretted having to wake her; but they would need all the time to get ready and make their appointment. To Erika’s immense relief, the extra rest seemed to do Selene some good. She awoke right away, with apparent renewed energy.  
“Did you just kiss me?” she asked, sitting up.  
“Well, it was either that or shove you out onto the walkway,” Erika quipped.  
“Mmm. Well, thank you for that at least.” Selene pulled up the blanket partway to cover her nakedness. She grimaced slightly.  
“Are you okay?” Erika asked with concern.  
“Fine. Just stiff is all,” Selene assured her. “My back stiffens up when I sleep.”  
“Do you need a rubdown?”  
“I’ll be okay,” Selene shook her head. “Once I’m up and moving, it will loosen up. I’m assuming we’re wearing our best mortal clothes for this interview?”  
Erika nodded. She had already changed into her nicest outfit. Selene seemed hesitant about changing in front of Erika, so Erika obliged her by standing out on the walkway, leaning on the railing and looking out over the warehouse floor.  
“You really don’t need to be so modest on my account,” Erika said, smiling, without turning around. “I’ve already seen you naked.”  
“I know, it’s stupid,” Selene agreed, shrugging herself into her grey sweater, then pulling on her slacks. “I don’t think I’m shy… it’s just… I don’t feel dressed unless I’m in uniform.”  
“And a gun in each hand?” Erika grinned.  
“Exactly!” Selene agreed emphatically. “I haven’t gone this long without a gun in my hands since… well, I can’t remember how long it’s been.”  
“You won’t need guns here,” Erika said, and then added, almost under her breath, “At least, I hope you won’t.”  
“Worried I might kill someone?” Selene asked, tugging on her boots.  
“No, I’m worried you might get killed.” She turned around to face Selene, her expression turning serious. “Don’t you dare die on me, Selene.”  
Selene raised an eyebrow at the vehemence of Erika’s statement. “I’ll try to stay alive,” she retorted.  
“I mean it, Selene.”  
“I see you do.”  
Erika hesitated. “I don’t think I can do this without you.”  
Selene dropped onto the walkway beside Erika, and shrugged herself into her long coat. She looked her companion in the eye. Seeing that Erika’s emotions were running very close to the surface, she tried to give her what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “I promise I’m not leaving you alone here,” she declared, trying not to bite her tongue as she said it. “And thank you – for being so concerned. I may not be good at showing it, but I do appreciate it. All right?”  
Erika smiled and nodded, mollified.  
“Are we ready to go, then?”  
“Not quite,” Erika said, reaching into her purse. “We absolutely have to do something with that hair of yours.”  
“What’s wrong with it?” Selene wanted to know.  
“It’s nothing but tangles!” Erika took out a pocket mirror so Selene could see.  
“It’s a little… unkempt,” Selene conceded, looking at herself critically; even when she felt well, she never felt entirely comfortable with her own appearance. She made a face. “Ugh. I hate mirrors.” She handed the mirror back to Erika.  
“Well, we can’t have you going over to meet Steve’s grandmother, with your hair looking like you just stuck your finger in a light socket,” Erika declared. "Come here."  
Erika quickly retrieved a small comb and brush from her purse.  
“You’ve been collecting tools already, I see,” Selene noted dryly.  
“Absolutely,” Erika declared happily. “Tools of the trade. Much nicer than guns.”  
“Mmm. I’ll take automatic weapons any day. Or even a good pistol. _Oww,”_ she exclaimed, as Erika tackled a large knot near the back of Selene’s scalp.  
“For goodness’ sake, Selene, don’t you _ever_ use a comb?”  
“I like my hair the way it is,” Selene answered a little sullenly, and then grimaced as Erika tugged at some of the more knotted snarls.  
“You have such beautiful hair,” Erika declared. “I wish mine was half as full as yours. But tonight, you and it have to be on your best behavior. And if you can’t smile, at least don’t scowl so much. Remember, we’re trying to make a good impression.”  
“I don’t scowl,” Selene protested.  
“You do,” Erika insisted. “You do nothing but scowl.”  
“Really?” Selene seemed bemused.  
“Here. Let me show you what you look like.” Erika turned Selene towards her so they were face to face. Erika set her jaw and brought her brows down low over her eyes in an exaggerated glower.  
“I’m not really that bad… am I?” Selene asked in chagrin.  
“Well… yes, if I’m going to be honest,” Erika admitted. “You always walk around looking like you’re going to kill somebody.”  
“That’s what I do,” Selene objected.  
“Well, not any more you don’t. Oh, and another thing. We’re feeding before we go over to the house.”  
“So soon?” Selene complained. “It’s barely dark, I just woke up!”  
“I know. I don’t think I could stand to drain another rat, either,” Erika said with a shudder. “But we want to look our best and there isn’t time to go back to the hospital. The fresh blood will bring color back into our faces. We’ll look more natural to the mortals that way, under all those bright electric lights. Mortals appreciate beauty. And you are far more attractive than me.” She turned Selene to one side again, to finish brushing out her hair.  
Selene frowned in bewilderment, considering Erika’s blond tresses and ample curves against her own slight, boyish frame. “I am?”  
“Selene, you are beautiful,” Erika said forthrightly. “I don’t think you realize that, but you are. If I can only teach you how to smile, there isn’t a mortal on this earth who could resist you. You could have every man, and most of the women, eating out of your hand.”  
Selene wrinkled her nose disapprovingly. “Now you sound like you did when we were back at Great House.”  
“Yes, yes, Selene, and you know why? Because it works. We’re going to meet Steve’s grandmother tonight, and if you can only smile without grimacing, you’ll have her completely won over, and we’ll have a place to live. Trust me!” Erika turned Selene back around, her task done. “And don’t give me that look. We need to use all our skills now, including our looks, in order to get by. There. Take a look at yourself now.” She held out the mirror.  
Selene studied her image with surprise. “That’s – much better,” she had to admit. “Thank you.”

They arrived in front of the house shortly before seven, having taken their first bus trip across town. Erika insisted they not get into the habit of hot-wiring vehicles every time they needed to go someplace, and Selene relented on this occasion for her friend’s sake. Erika clearly enjoyed the novelty of the ride, although Selene was less enthusiastic. But considering how weak she was, she had to admit to herself she was grateful that she did not need to walk any great distance. They disembarked at the stop Steve had indicated, then walked another two blocks up the street. Erika checked the directions that Steve had given her. “This is the place,” she announced, turning to face the building.  
Selene stared up at it, appalled. “Erika, it’s _above ground!”_ she hissed.  
“Well, of course it is, Selene. Weren’t you listening when Steve described it?”  
“Look at the windows!” Selene pointed. The top floor did in fact have a large three-panel bay window facing the street. Several other smaller windows were clearly visible around the front and sides of the house.  
“Well… we would need to have drapes and blinds,” Erika conceded.  
“It’ll be like flash-frying inside a microwave oven!”  
“The mansion at Great House had whole wings above ground,” Erika reminded her. “And windows, too.”  
“I know, but – isn’t this taking your claustrophobia a little too far?”  
“Let’s just go look. All right? We need someplace to stay. I don’t want to live in the rafters of a warehouse any longer than I have to.”  
“All right, we’ll look,” Selene relented. She nodded up the street at a young man getting out of a white pickup truck. “Here comes Steve.” Erika put on her most welcoming smile, and waved. Steve waved back.  
“Good evening, ladies,” Steve greeted them, when he was inside talking distance. “Nice to see you again.”  
“Hi, Steve,” Erika smiled. “So, this is the place, huh?”  
Steve shrugged. “I know it doesn’t look like much from the outside. It’s an old neighborhood.”  
“Oh? I was just thinking how nice it looked.”  
“Well, come on in, then, and meet my Gran.”  
“Steve? What’s your grandmother’s name?”  
“Oh! I should have told you that, shouldn’t I? It’s Rose. Rose McGillicuddy.”  
“Rose McGillicuddy,” Erika repeated softly to herself. They went up the porch steps. The front yard was almost non-existent; a little square of grass bordered by a flower bed. The rest of the front was taken up with the steps leading to the porch and a recessed driveway barely six feet long. The porch itself was wide and deep, with a rocker in front of the big first-floor window. Steve put his key in the door. Erika noticed something glistening on the lawn, partially reflected by the street light.  
“Steve… what is that?” Erika asked.  
“What?”  
“That.” Erika pointed into the grass. “Down there.”  
“Oh, that. Just another damn slug.” He grinned. “Hey, you’ve never seen Seattle slugs before, have you? You know they’re famous the world over.”  
“Famous for what?”  
“Well, mostly for grossing people out.”  
Erika couldn’t help shuddering, and Steve laughed. “See? It grossed you out already. Just wait until you meet one up close and personal.”  
“We can wait,” Selene assured him.  
“Okay – just don’t say I didn’t warn you. Now, once you go in, you’ll see two doors. The one on the left goes into Gran’s place. The one right in front opens to a flight of stairs that goes up to the second floor.”  
Steve opened the front door, then barged through the door on the left without knocking. A woman’s voice floated out onto the porch. “Steve? I’m telling you for the last time, knock before you come into my house!”  
“Sorry, Gran,” Steve apologized. “Erika? Selene? Come on in.”  
Erika looked at Selene. “Well? Shall we?”  
“Oh, after you,” Selene answered, and her tone of voice suggested she’d much rather stay on the porch and wait with the slugs. Erika gave her a reassuring smile.  
“Come on,” she said, and went inside; Selene, after struggling with her misgivings for a moment, followed.  
They found themselves in a comfortable parlor, with thick red drapes covering the windows and soft pile rug underneath. Sturdy upholstered chairs and sofas were backed up to each wall, punctuated by end tables and lamps with heavy shades that dimmed the light. Steve had disappeared.  
An old woman shuffled in from the adjoining room. Like her furniture, the woman was thick and sturdy, and seemed possessed of a fierce energy; her only sign of weakness was how slow she walked. Her grey hair was tied back in a loose bun, and with no glasses to aid her vision, she stared intently, first at Erika, then at Selene, with pale blue eyes.  
“Mrs. McGillicuddy?” Smiling, holding out her hand in greeting, Erika was all sweetness and charm. “How do you do. I’m Erika. Erika Archer. This is my friend Selene. It’s so nice to meet you. Steve’s told us so much about you.”  
“It’s nice to meet you, too, dear,” Mrs. McGillicuddy answered, taking the young girl’s hands in her own, then remarked in surprise, “My word, but your hands are cold.”  
“Ah. Well, you know what they say. Cold hands, warm heart.”  
“Yes, they do say that, don’t they. It’s a load of piffle if you ask me. Would you like something hot to drink?”  
“If you have some tea, that would be lovely, thank you.”  
“You’re English?” the old woman made note of the accent. “Both of you?”  
“I am,” Erika answered. “I was born in London. Although I haven’t been home for many years.”  
“And what about you… Selene?”  
“Oh! Ah,” Selene was caught off guard by the question. “No, I’m not English. French.”  
“French! My goodness. Anywhere near Paris? I’m afraid that’s the only city in France I know.”  
“Angers, Maine-et-Loire,” Selene answered. “It’s south and east of Paris, about two hundred and fifty kilometers or so.”  
“Ah, there it is,” the old woman nodded approvingly. “I couldn’t hear the accent before. It’s very soft.”  
“Oh. Well, like Erika, I have not been home for many years.”  
“That’s a shame. I always wanted to see Paris, it seems like such a cultured place. So much history. Anyway, make yourselves comfortable. I’ll be right back.”  
“Erika, what are we doing?” Selene whispered, after Mrs. McGillicuddy left the room. “I thought we were here to look at a flat.”  
“We are,” Erika whispered back. “But this is Mrs. McGillicuddy’s home. Remember, she’s not just looking for tenants, she’s also looking for someone to help out around the house. In a way, we’re applying for a job. She just wants to get to know us a little better, that’s all. We just need to convince her we’re nice people. Mrs. McGillicuddy?” Erika called out. “Do you need any help in the kitchen?”  
“I’m doing just fine, dear,” the voice floated out from the back of the house. “I may be an old woman, but I can still boil water.”  
“So what do we say when she asks us where we’ve been, or what we do for a living?” Selene whispered to Erika.  
Erika shrugged. “We tell as much of the truth as we can,” she whispered back.  
“And if we can’t?”  
“We improvise.” Erika smiled. “Just follow my lead.”  
Mrs. McGillicuddy returned a few moments later, with three delicate china teacups and a small sugar bowl on a platter. Erika helped her clear a spot on one of the end tables, and the old woman vanished long enough to return with a teapot. Like the cups, the pot was part of a matching set.  
“Here we go,” Mrs. McGillicuddy announced, setting down the pot. “We need to let it steep for a minute or two. Please, sit down, girls. Make yourselves comfortable.”  
Erika nodded at Selene, and settled into the chair next to Mrs. McGillicuddy’s; Selene, after a moment’s hesitation, seated herself on the couch opposite.  
“So, where have you girls been living? Steve tells me you just arrived in the States.”  
“We’ve been living near Budapest,” Erika answered, sensing that honesty would be the best policy where Mrs. McGillicuddy was concerned.  
“Budapest? Gracious – that’s nearly half-way around the world. You are a long way from home, aren’t you?”  
“Yes, we are,” Erika admitted, and she could not manage to keep all of the sadness out of her voice.  
“So what brings you to Seattle?”  
“Work – and school,” Erika answered quickly. “I’ve just accepted an internship at one of the local hospitals. I’ll be happy to leave Doctor Halloway’s number – he’s my advisor – as a reference.”  
“That would be nice,” Mrs. McGillicuddy nodded. “Is that what you were both doing in Budapest? Medical students?”  
“Actually, I wanted – want to be a pediatrician,” Erika caught herself. “I’ve been studying, ah, hematology while I was in Budapest, but I’ve always loved children and wanted to work with them and care for them. I’m hoping in a couple of years I can apply for a degree program.”  
If Selene was baffled by this story, apparently woven from whole cloth on the spot, she gave no sign; her features remained gravely impassive.  
“If you don’t mind my asking, how did you end up here?" Rose asked. "It seems like an awfully long way to go to get a degree.”  
“Well, I started my education in Hamburg, Germany – I started taking classes there, and was there about a year ...” Erika hesitated for a moment. “Then I had a… tremendous offer to move to Budapest,” she said carefully. “An offer I really couldn’t say no to. I moved there, and that’s pretty much where I’ve been most of the last five years.”  
“Gracious. You must miss your family terribly.”  
“Yes, I do,” Erika said with complete sincerity. “I miss them very, very much.”  
“I’m sure they miss you, too,” Mrs. McGillicuddy nodded. “But education is important, isn’t it? You won’t get very far in life without it.”  
“That’s true,” Erika agreed.  
“And what about your family, dear?” the old woman turned to Selene.  
The dark-haired immortal recovered herself without missing a beat. “I have no family, Mrs. McGillicuddy. They died when I was very young.”  
“Oh my dear! I’m so terribly sorry.”  
“It’s all right. It was a long time ago.”  
“And the two of you met in Budapest?”  
“Yes, that’s right,” Erika nodded. “Selene was, ah, working as a security guard at a private office just outside the city – ”  
“Security?” the old woman seemed surprised and stared at Selene appraisingly. “Goodness, you’re such a tiny thing, and so pretty, I would never have taken you for a security officer.”  
Selene neither smiled nor made comment, so Erika cut in quickly, “Oh, don’t let her looks fool you. Selene has, uh, studied martial arts and knows how to handle all sorts of weapons. You couldn’t ask for a better bodyguard. Anyway…” Erika tried to lighten her tone. “I met Selene shortly after I arrived in Budapest, and… well, I guess you could say we’ve thrown our lot in together… haven’t we?” she glanced at her companion.  
“Yes, we have,” Selene agreed grimly.  
“My goodness! That all sounds very dramatic. And are you working, dear?”  
“I’m not sure what I want to do just yet,” Selene said in all honesty.  
The old woman nodded. “Want to change careers, I suppose. Nothing wrong with that. I mean, security really isn’t the best job for a woman, is it? Would you excuse me for just a minute, dears? I hear my grandson in there raiding my kitchen, and I need to chase him out.”  
Mrs. McGillicuddy got up and walked towards the back of the house. Selene fixed Erika with a cold stare, and Erika responded with a gesture of placation. A moment later, Steve reappeared, swallowing hard to dispose of the remains of a hastily constructed sandwich.  
“Gran asked me to take you upstairs and show you the apartment,” he announced, still choking down the last of the bread. “I think she likes you.”  
“I like her,” Erika said forthrightly. “She seems very sweet.”  
“Don’t be fooled. She’s a tough old buzzard.”  
“I heard that,” Mrs. McGillicuddy called from the kitchen.  
“Sorry, Gran,” Steve called back, automatically apologizing. Apparently this was something he was used to doing often.  
“She’s not quite sure what to make of you,” he added, looking at Selene, “But she always knows if people are trying to put one over on her. She’s no fool.”  
“Does she think we’re lying to her?” Erika worried.  
“No, not at all. She thinks you’re up front.”  
“Up front?” Selene frowned, not understanding the idiom.  
“She has to be careful.” Steve lowered his voice. “Old women are targets for all sorts of scams. It’s a shame, really, but there it is. Fortunately, Gran can sniff bullshit a mile away. She would know if you were trying to scam her about anything. Really, I’ve seen her turn people out after only a minute if they’re less than honest. She picks up on stuff.”  
Erika nodded. “I got that impression.”  
Mrs. McGillicuddy came back into the parlor. “Follow Steve upstairs, dears, he’ll show you the apartment. After you’ve had a good look around, come back down, we’ll have some tea and I’ll tell you the sorts of things I need help with around here. We’ll see what you think after that.”  
“Follow me, ladies,” Steve directed them back to the landing. He shook some keys out of his pocket, and after fumbling for a moment, found the right one and inserted it into the lock. He felt inside the stairwell, and flipped on a light switch.  
“Go on up,” he invited them.  
Erika went up the stairs first, Selene reluctantly following. At the top of the stairwell, they found themselves on a second, wider landing, with a sideboard. Steve, coming up behind, flipped on several other switches, to light up the common rooms.  
“The kitchen’s in back,” Steve explained. “There’s two bedrooms, the large master bedroom is down the hall and there’s a much smaller bedroom behind that first door on your right.”  
Erika and Selene turned around slowly, looking over the apartment. It was furnished sparingly but not uncomfortably. Immediately behind them, facing east, was a small den that looked out over the street. Its only furniture was a roll top desk and a big wooden upholstered chair with rollers. There were several storage boxes piled haphazardly against the wall, and everything was coated with a fine layer of dust.  
The south side of the house was the common area, partitioned by another sideboard separating the living and dining rooms. The living room faced east, towards the street, with the big bay window they’d seen earlier. The room was furnished with two comfortable looking couches at right angles on the east and south walls, with a low coffee table, two end tables with lamps and an ornamental throw rug. On the den wall sat a small, squat television on a low table. The dining room had a small dinette with table and chairs made of cherry wood, and an empty bookcase against the wall. The floors were polished wood, and similarly colored wood paneling on the walls made the rooms seem darker than they actually were; these rooms had been swept out and cleaned recently.  
“Look,” Erika took Selene’s elbow and pointed at the heavy drapes and curtains, hoping their presence would mollify her companion. Selene shrugged noncommittally.  
They walked through to the kitchen at the back end of the house. The kitchen faced west, with two smaller windows looking over the back yard, with mostly white wallpaper with a faded floral print. The floor was bright tiles, alternating white and yellow squares.  
“The kitchen has a pantry!” Erika exclaimed, pleased.  
“Most of these older houses do,” Steve nodded, a little surprised at Erika’s delight at something so mundane.  
“There’s a porch out here?” Erika asked, peering through the kitchen window.  
“Oh… yeah!” Steve fished another set of keys out of his pocket, and opened the wood paneled door in the far southwest corner. “This door leads to the back stairs. They connect to Gran’s apartment on the ground floor, but they also go down to the basement, that’s where you can find the heater, the laundry room and the garage.” He looked at Erika. “You don’t have a car, do you? There’s only room for one car in the garage, and Gran’s is in there.”  
“No car, Steve.” Erika smiled.  
“There’s a garage in the basement?” Selene asked, confused.  
“Well, sort of. The houses on this street are built into the side of the hill, so from the front, the garage is at street level. But the back is all underground. Okay,” Steve stepped out onto the tiny landing. “You have another door here – ” he fumbled with the keys for the outer door, which had another small curtained window; Selene suppressed a shudder. _Immortals under glass,_ she thought to herself.  
“And _voila,”_ Steve announced, pleased with himself as if he’d done something extremely difficult and clever. Erika stepped out onto the porch. It was narrow, barely three feet wide, running the width of the house, with two small plastic chairs at the far end. Erika took in the surroundings: apparently another street ran parallel to this one, so past the small backyard, which was a mixture of grass and rose bushes, was another backyard, and the back of a house, with a tall, bricked fence dividing the property. To the north and south were a string of backyards, red brick fences and patches of green grass or gardens, with the occasional swingset or tricycle.  
“It’s so quiet,” Erika marveled.  
“Don’t worry, come Monday morning you’ll hear the traffic off the freeway,” Steve promised.  
They went back inside, and walked to the other side to see the bedrooms. “At the end of the hall is the master bedroom,” Steve told them. “The other bedroom is here – ” he opened the door on his right, and the immortals peeked in. The room was very small, with just a twin size bed and night table, with a recessed closet in the wall.  
“Ugh, another window,” Selene shook her head.  
“Sorry, what was that?” Steve asked.  
“Nothing.”  
“There’s only one bathroom,” Steve continued the tour. “Here between the two bedrooms – ”  
The bathroom was relatively large, with very old fixtures; including an ancient, freestanding clawfooted tub that was deep and wide, with a curtain ring above it. Both the tub and the sink had two faucets each, one for cold water, the other for hot. “The plumbing isn’t all that great,” Steve admitted. “But it all works and nothing leaks.”  
“It looks fine,” Erika assured him, secretly wishing she could push them both out the door and soak in the tub that very minute.  
“And finally, the master bedroom.”  
Steve pushed open the door at the end of the corridor. Like the common areas, the floor was dark wood and so was the paneling on the walls. This room also had a window, but it faced north rather than west and was rather small. Selene almost sighed with relief. The room was comfortably furnished with a king size bed, complete with a large, ornate cherry headboard, a large oak chest of drawers, with nightstands and lamps on either side of the bed. Under the window sat a large, freestanding oval mirror partially hidden behind the door, and in the corner was a doublewide rocking chair with a throw rug.  
“This is really nice,” Erika said, looking at Selene, who, to her immense relief, also seemed pleased.  
“I’m afraid the closet is pretty small, mostly your clothes would have to go in the chest. There’s a dust cover and blankets and extra sheets for the bed taking up most of the space in there.”  
“May we sit on the bed?”  
“Be my guest.”  
Erika stretched out on the bed in undisguised contentment. “Selene, try this,” she urged her companion.  
Hesitantly, Selene laid down on the bed across from Erika.  
“It’s nice, isn’t it?”  
“Yes, it is,” Selene agreed.  
“I’ll leave you girls to poke around and talk it over between yourselves,” Steve said. “I’ll be downstairs if you have any questions. Come back down when you’re ready and you can talk to Gran then. And I can show you the laundry room – although it’s not much to see.”  
“Thank you, Steve,” Erika smiled sweetly. “We’ll be down in a few minutes.”  
After Steve had tromped downstairs, Erika rolled on her side so she could face Selene, who was still laying flat on her back. The dark haired immortal had closed her eyes, arms folded over her stomach.  
“What, you’re going to fall asleep right here and now?” Erika chided playfully.  
“I could,” Selene admitted.  
“Well? What do you think?”  
“There isn’t a single room in this house that doesn’t have a window in it.”  
“The windows all have curtains and drapes. Come on. Doesn’t this bed feel wonderful? Wouldn’t you rather sleep here than on a cold, hard concrete floor?”  
“I can hear the electricity crackling in the walls.”  
“Where else are we going to find a flat we can afford?” Erika pressed. “Or one that’s already furnished?”  
Selene sighed. What else could they do? Currently, they were in the situation of beggars, not choosers, and the house seemed nice enough. There were certainly far worse places.  
“Warm, clean, dry, safe – and quiet,” Erika gently nudged her companion. “Right?”  
“I suppose you’ll want the master bedroom,” Selene conceded finally.  
Impulsively, Erika leaned over and kissed Selene on the cheek. “Thank you! I’m so glad you want it – that you want to be here!”  
“I don’t know what I want,” Selene said sourly.  
Erika mulled that response over for a minute. “Well, maybe you don’t know what you want, but how about, you know what you _don’t_ want, and that’s to spend another night in a dusty old warehouse, having rats for breakfast?”  
Helplessly, Selene gave in. “All right. You win.”  
Erika’s smile brightened the room. “You know, we could share this room,” she suggested shyly. “The bed’s more than big enough for both of us.”  
Selene seemed to be mulling that idea over.  
“It won’t seem so lonely that way,” Erika offered.  
Selene suddenly felt very awkward. “I’m – not used to sleeping with anyone,” she confessed finally.  
Erika frowned. “You’ve never slept with _anyone?”_  
“Not since I was little. Mortal.”  
"I meant, with a lover, Selene."  
"Oh."  
That deflated exclamation apparently meant the answer was still no. Erika could hardly believe that Selene, whom she found stunningly beautiful, had never taken a lover. She reflected that for all the time they’d spent at Great House, Selene had never been romantically linked to anyone – at least, not that she knew of. Kraven had wanted her, badly, but Selene had shown no interest in return. Was it possible that Michael was the first person to whom Selene had felt any such attachment? But now was not the time for personal discussions. Erika realized, belatedly, she had much to learn about her companion.  
“All right,” Erika sighed, pushing herself off the bed with great reluctance. “Let’s go see if Steve’s Gran is willing to take us in.”  
They padded back downstairs and knocked before re-entering Mrs. McGillicuddy’s parlor.  
“Come in, girls,” the old woman invited them. “Tea’s ready. I have milk and sugar, if you want them. I’m told the English are fond of a spot of milk in their tea.”  
“That’s right, we are,” Erika gave the old woman her sweetest smile. “Thank you, Mrs. McGillicuddy.”  
“Sugar?”  
“No thank you, milk is fine.”  
“Selene?”  
“Just tea, please, Mrs. McGillicuddy.” To Erika’s delight, the dark haired immortal even managed a friendly smile.  
The old woman poured three cups, and added a liberal dash of milk to Erika’s cup, and added three heaping teaspoons of sugar to her own. Then they settled back into their chairs.  
“You’ll pardon me if I’m not ladylike with my china,” Mrs. McGillicuddy apologized. “I’m an old woman. I like to use my teacup as a hand warmer.”  
“Please don’t worry on our account,” Erika laughed. “I do the same.”  
“So, what do you think?”  
“It’s a lovely flat, Mrs. McGillicuddy. I honestly don’t think we could possibly find anything nicer.”  
The old woman smiled. “Most of that furniture upstairs has been in my family since I was your age.”  
Selene found it difficult to suppress a smile.  
“How about the location?” Mrs. McGillicuddy asked. “Is it close enough to work for you?”  
“Actually, there’s a… bus stop? A bus stop just two blocks from here, we caught one right near the hospital. Although it occurs to me, I need to find a schedule.”  
“I’m sure Steve can dredge one up for you. I don’t think you need to worry, though. There are plenty of buses that cover the U district.”  
“Does Steve do a lot of work for you?” Erika asked, genuinely curious.  
Mrs. McGillicuddy snorted. “When I can shame him into it. Usually he comes over to scavenge my food. He spends most of his time with girls I don’t approve of – or he goes out drinking until someone has to pour him into a cab to take him home.”  
“He doesn’t live here?” Selene asked, hoping Steve wasn’t overhearing this part of the conversation.  
“Gracious, no. I wouldn’t have him under my roof. He has an apartment somewhere in Renton. I think he’s secretly hoping you two will work out so he can stop driving up here to check on me.”  
“He can’t be as bad as all that,” Erika protested. “He seemed nice enough when we first met him.”  
“You don’t know him yet,” the old woman assured them. “Anyway… as far as what I need help with, it’s mostly errands and chores I can’t do myself. Nothing too terrible. My sister usually drives me to my doctor’s appointments, so you don’t need to worry about that sort of thing. It’s little things – like, I can’t take my laundry basket down the steps any more. I can iron my own stuff, as long as I can get someone to haul it for me. And my groceries. My legs bother me, I can’t do a lot of my own shopping. Too difficult to stand or walk too far for very long.”  
“I’m sorry to hear that, Mrs. McGillicuddy.”  
“Ah well. It’s old age you know. No cure for that.”  
“Still, that hardly seems like work at all,” Erika remarked, trying to ignore the unintended irony of the woman’s remark.  
“Most days there won’t be anything for you to do. Other days there’ll be a lot. It rather depends on the day. At some point in the not too distant future, I’d really like to repaint the walls that aren’t paneled, and I’ll definitely need help with that, and hanging new curtains, things like that. What kind of work schedule do you girls keep?”  
Erika glanced quickly at Selene before answering. “Well, Selene doesn’t have a job yet, but I think like me she’ll probably work a night shift. We both did, when we were back in Budapest – we rather got used to sleeping during the day. That won’t be a problem, I hope?” Erika tried to keep a note of desperation out of her voice.  
“If I can get help when I need it, it’s not a problem, dear,” Mrs. McGillicuddy answered. “As I said, I have friends and family to do driving for me during the day. If you can take care of things for me in the early evening before you go to work, that would be just fine.”  
Erika heaved a great sigh of relief in spite of herself. “That’s wonderful!” she exclaimed.  
They spent a few minutes more, going over the details of the lease agreement; Erika was further relieved that Mrs. McGillicuddy was willing to wait until Erika had her first paycheck before making a deposit. The old woman was apparently going to take them in on faith, and Erika accepted this as a good omen of things to come. However, sensing that Selene was tiring quickly, Erika completed the arrangements as quickly as was politely possible. She was more convinced than ever that something was very wrong with Selene, but if they had someplace clean and warm and quiet where she could recuperate, it would certainly help matters.  
They left about forty five minutes later, and as they got up to go, Mrs. McGillicuddy took Erika aside.  
“I don’t know about your friend there,” the old lady sniffed. “She’s way too sullen. But you’re a nice girl.”  
Erika recovered as best she could. “Thank you, Mrs. McGillicuddy. I’m sure we’ll be very happy here. And I hope you’ll be happy to have us here, too.”  
A few moments later, they were back on the street; Steve chatted with them briefly before claiming a prior engagement, then climbed into his truck and drove away.  
“Sullen?” Selene seemed genuinely offended as they walked back to the bus stop. “She thinks I’m _sullen?”_  
“Well, you could have tried to be a little more outgoing,” Erika rebuked her gently. “It wouldn’t have hurt you any. But it worked, Selene! I’m so excited – we have a place to live now! A real place of our own!”  
“Terrific. Our own private ultraviolet barbecue.”  
“Oh, stop. It’s going to be fine. Trust me.”  
“And what was all that nonsense about wanting to be a pediatrician? That was pretty inventive.”  
“I didn’t make that up,” Erika protested. “Before I became a vampire, that’s what I was studying at university.” She grew wistful. “Everything I said to Mrs. McGillicuddy was true.”  
“Erika, you’re not mortal anymore,” Selene pointed out. “You should have put those concerns behind you years ago.”  
“What, so wanting to be a doctor is only a mortal concern?” Erika ruffed. “You need a doctor. And if I knew any doctors who specialized in treating vampires, I’d take you to see one.”  
Selene mulled that over. “Fair comment,” she admitted.  
They walked a little way in silence. A light drizzle began to fall by the time they reached the bus stop. They took shelter under the awning as it began to rain in earnest. Selene shivered, and Erika protectively put her arm around Selene’s waist, pulling her close in hopes that even her faint body heat might help.  
“Can I ask you something?” Erika hugged Selene tighter as they watched the raindrops grow fatter and fatter.  
“Sure.”  
“How long have you been a Death Dealer?”  
Selene thought for a moment. “A little over two hundred years.”  
Erika’s eyes widened in surprise. “I had no idea,” she confessed. “I knew you were older than me, but… I didn’t think you were that much older.”  
“That’s because you still think like a human,” Selene said simply.  
“Were you really born in France?”  
“Yes, of course.”  
“But you’ve been at Great House… for how long?”  
Selene shrugged. “Since I was turned.”  
“And how old were you then?” Erika pressed.  
“Seventeen.”  
“And in all the time since, you’ve never done anything but hunt Lycans?”  
“It was all I wanted to do,” Selene answered. “I knew – I thought I knew,” she corrected herself sadly, “That the Lycans had killed everyone I loved.”  
“So, your parents, your family…”  
“Long gone,” Selene murmured, a note of sadness in her voice. “Centuries ago.”  
Selene seemed genuinely distressed. Erika hesitated a moment, then gave her companion a slightly tighter squeeze. “We’re going to be all right, you know,” she said softly.  
Selene stared at the ground and made no reply.  
“We will,” Erika insisted. “I wasn’t sure myself there for a while. But tomorrow night, we’ll have somewhere warm and dry and clean to sleep. Food and shelter – our critical needs, remember? And now those will be taken care of. We will have plenty of time to decide what to do next.”  
“That’s part of the problem,” Selene confessed. “I have absolutely no idea what to do next. All I know how to do is kill.”  
Erika tried to comfort her. “Let's just worry about a day at a time, all right? Just think about tomorrow – we’ll have fresh blood to drink, we’ll be able to sleep in a real bed for the first time in weeks – hot baths,” she added excitedly.  
Despite herself, Selene managed a smile. “That does sound nice,” she admitted.  
“See? Concentrate on that. Tomorrow is going to be a good night.”  
“All right,” Selene said, her flagging spirits lifting somewhat. “You’re right again, aren’t you? Do you always have to be right?”  
The bus that would take them back to the warehouse district pulled up next to the awning. “Come on,” Erika grinned. “Let’s go collect our things."

* * *

Half a world away, the Lycan known only as Raze stared over the main floor of the Great House of Dunaharaszti, once the stronghold of the vampire coven. The central wing was still standing, but the rest of the mansion was a gutted ruin. He sniffed the air distastefully. Although it had now been weeks since the vampires had been overthrown, their scent lingered everywhere; to Raze's acute wolfen sense of smell, it still seemed suffocating - a reek of whores and cavalier hedonists. To think that creatures such as these could have oppressed his people for so long!  
Raze had found himself in the unenviable position of now being the leader of his own pack; Lucien's death, along with most of his trusted alphas, had left Raze next in seniority of command. He was more than capable of giving orders, but being leader of his people was a prospect he had neither desired or felt prepared for. In the field, in battle, he could command. The obligations before him now were more daunting, requiring a more political viewpoint than he felt comfortable embracing.  
Three days after the fire, they had found most of the bodies in the burnt-out hollow of the garage. Another elder of the coven, Marcus, had been found, seared to a crisp; only a few steps away from him, the abomination, Michael, had also perished. As the Lycans viewed the corpses, it was obvious that these two were more than just vampire or wolf - but some strange, misshapen combination of the two.  
One of the soldiers viewed the corpses and shuddered; the unnaturalness of the bodies penetrated even his limited understanding.  
"They're - not right," he muttered, shaking his head.  
Raze snorted. "This was what Lucien planned for. What Singe gave his life for. Bat and wolf, as one."  
The soldier shook his head. "It's not right," he repeated.  
Raze shrugged noncommittally. He saw no need to argue. Right or not, the fire had claimed both creatures. Whatever plans Lucien had made to join the bloodlines was now lost. And perhaps, good riddance.  
Now, some time later, Raze and his men were still camped within what was left of Great House. A surprising number of vampires had attempted to return to the mansion - or its safe houses - in the days after the battle, hoping to find shelter; and found instead only Lycans waiting for them there. Although Raze knew full well that genocide simply wasn't practical, he still wanted to make sure to kill as many vampires as possible: leave them so reduced in numbers that rebuilding the coven would be impossible for generations to come. They slaughtered any vampire senseless enough to stumble near. But now, the numbers had fallen off drastically, and even the patrols scouring the city were finding no recent evidence of their most hated enemies. Any vampires left alive had gone to ground - some, perhaps, literally.  
But one vampire in particular still nagged at Raze's mind - one left unaccounted for; one not consumed by flame, nor seen anywhere after the battle - the Death Dealer Selene. The last sight anyone had of her was the night the Great House burned. She was seen driving away from the battle just as it started. The action seemed utterly out of character. The huntress lived to kill his kind; and yet, presented with the opportunity to do just that - she turned tail and ran? Although Raze did not know Selene personally, her reputation preceded her; she was no coward. He had met her once, briefly, in battle, and knew better than to underestimate her. And Selene's hatred of Lycans defined her like it did no other soldier. So why had she fled? Where had she gone? Where was she now?  
If she had died, or otherwise taken shelter anywhere near the city, the Lycan patrols would have sniffed her out; but she was nowhere to be found. Selene was no mere loose end. Raze could not safely assume she was no longer a threat. She could be out there, right now, plotting something; and he grudgingly regarded her as one of the few Death Dealers worthy of the name. Not knowing her fate was something he could not overlook.  
The night before the Lycans were to leave the remains of their enemies' stronghold, Raze called his alphas together. The taciturn leader had always been a man of few words, but his terse order now carried even more weight than usual: _find Selene._  
The alphas attempted to protest; the woman was likely dead, or certainly gone to ground - but Raze was having none of the objections.  
"Find her," he snarled.  
"And when we find her?" one of the alphas inquired.  
"Kill her."


	7. Chapter 7

_Refuge_

After Erika’s elation and Selene’s relief, moving day was anti-climactic. Erika had told Mrs. McGillicuddy in all honesty, that they had arrived in Seattle with nothing more than a few changes of clothes; having traveled from the other side of the world, they traveled light. The immortals arrived at their new residence shortly after midnight, hoping that their new landlady would not be awake to see them coming in with a mere two shopping bags.  
To their surprise and delight, Steve had been by earlier in the day and left a bouquet of mixed flowers, a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and a new corkscrew on the table, a package of plastic cups and a gift basket filled with scented soaps, bubble bath, shampoo, two scented candles and four small bags of potpourri. His note read: _Welcome to your new home. Gran’s very pleased to have you here and so am I. There’s a bottle of Pinot Grigio in the fridge. Sorry I forgot the glasses. Usually I just drink straight from the bottle._  
“That was really nice of him,” Erika could hardly hide her pleasure as she set the bags down on the table.  
“It was thoughtful,” Selene agreed. She dug two one-liter bags of whole blood from the bottom of one of the shopping bags, and discreetly tucked them into the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator. “There,” she said aloud to the bottle of Pinot, standing alone on the otherwise empty shelf. “Now you won’t feel so lonely.”  
“This has to be the easiest move I’ve ever made,” Erika announced, as she began taking outfits out of the shopping bags. “Hang up four outfits and we’re done.” She disappeared into the bedroom for a moment, looking for a hanger, then returned for the second bag. She eyed the bottle of wine appraisingly.  
“Well, shall we drink a toast to our new home?” Erika proposed. “What would you like, red or white?”  
“Actually, a small glass of red would be very nice,” Selene admitted. She rummaged through the shopping bags. “Did you do something with my uniform?” she asked.  
“I hung it up in the master bedroom closet,” Erika answered, taking the bottle of Cabernet off the table.  
“Does that mean you’re giving me the master bedroom?”  
“If you’re too shy to share it, yes.”  
Selene thought that over for a minute. “We can share it,” she said finally.  
Erika smiled just as she got the cork out of the bottle. “Good.” She carefully poured two small glasses for each of them. “Maybe… we could share a bath too?”  
Selene almost laughed. “What is it with you and baths, anyway?”  
“You’ve never shared a bath with anyone before?”  
“No, of course not.”  
“Selene, you’ve led a deprived life.”  
“Mmm. I don’t doubt that.”  
“Well? Would you like to find out what you’ve been missing?”  
“I think… I’m not ready to try that just yet,” Selene demurred, managing a slight smile for Erika’s benefit. “Thanks all the same.”  
Erika was disappointed, but decided not to press the issue. “So, would you like to go first, then?”  
“What, you want to take a bath right now?”  
“Well… yes,” Erika admitted.  
“You go ahead,” Selene said graciously. “I just want to sit and think for a little while.”  
“All right.” Erika smiled. “I’ll try to save you some hot water.” She collected one of the soap cakes, a packet of bubble bath and a tiny bottle of shampoo. “And I’ll try not to use up all our gifts on the first night.” Then she disappeared into the bathroom.  
Selene opened the curtains in the living room. Clouds drifted over a crescent moon, and there was a hint of rain in the air. At this angle, above street level, the street lights reflected a soft, yellowish glow, bathing the room in weak light. Selene found some matches in the kitchen pantry, lit one of the candles, set it and her cup of wine on the low coffee table, then settled on the couch facing the window, so she could watch the clouds go scudding along.  
For once, her thoughts were quiet. She stared out at the stars and the wisps of clouds that first covered then uncovered them again. She tried to picture Viktor’s face, or Michael’s, or Kahn’s – even Kraven’s – but none of them came into focus. For tonight, at least, none of these ghosts would trouble her. She was left to a mostly empty room and the prospect of a new life in a new place – a life that would be completely different from the one she had left behind.  
Their arrival in Seattle, at least to Selene, seemed the pinnacle of the surreal. She had gone halfway around the world. She was living in the center of a city full of mortals, with only one other immortal as her sole companion. Anything that had given her old life meaning had no meaning here.  
She was, she reflected, a soldier without a war. All her life, she’d fought to protect the coven and avenge her family. Her family was now avenged: the true murderer had paid for his crimes with his life. But where did that leave her? Without a father, without a lover and without a home. She no longer had a coven to defend, not any more. No coven, and no covenant. There were no enemies to fight here.  
 _You do not know how to do anything but kill._ The thought crossed Selene's mind unbidden, and she shuddered involuntarily.  
She listened to Erika splashing happily in the bath, and had to smile. Her companion had turned out to be all right, after all. Erika had grown significantly in Selene’s estimation since they left Great House together. Erika had proven herself to be brave and resourceful – even with all the dangers they’d faced, she seemed to have acquired a far sunnier disposition since they began traveling together. Selene had to admit, grudgingly, that she found herself buoyed by Erika’s sanguinity in the face of so many seemingly insurmountable obstacles. _You should feel lucky to have her with you,_ she remonstrated with herself. _You saved her life, but she probably saved yours too._  
How long would they stay together? Right now, Erika was the only other immortal she was likely to have contact with for the foreseeable future. But would that always be so? If there were other immortals in the city, when and where might they find them? And if they did find another, larger coven here, would they become strangers again?  
Even as she considered the possibility, Selene realized the thought made her uncomfortable. She had, to some degree, become accustomed to Erika’s presence, and had even begun to rely upon her for help – something she would have considered unthinkable even a few weeks ago. Selene reflected somberly that if she had been placed in a similar situation without Erika, the outcome might have been very different - and not necessarily for the better.  
She felt a gentle nudge against her shoulder.  
“Hey,” Erika’s voice chided, “Vampires are supposed to sleep during the day.”  
Selene came to with a start. “Sorry,” she murmured. “I must have dozed off. Have I been asleep long?”  
“Maybe an hour.”  
Selene rubbed her eyes gently. “I didn’t even feel myself go.” She looked up to find Erika wearing only two towels, one wrapped around her torso, the other in her hair.  
“New fashion style?”  
“I forgot, we don’t have any bedclothes or bathrobes or anything else, for that matter. Thank God the towels came with the flat. I think we’re going to need to write down a seriously long shopping list. Have you eaten yet?”  
“No. I was waiting for you.”  
“Look. We’ve both had a pretty hectic few days. Why don’t we eat, then you can take your turn in the tub and we can call it an early night.”  
“That sounds wonderful,” Selene agreed.  
Erika padded into the kitchen and returned in a few moments with two more plastic cups.  
“That’s something else we need,” she announced. “Some decent crystal. Blood in a plastic cup… ugh!”  
In spite of herself, Selene burst out laughing. “It does lose something, doesn’t it?”  
“That’s wonderful!” Erika exclaimed delightedly, handing Selene the cup.  
“What is?”  
“It’s just… I’ve never heard you laugh before. You should do that more often.”  
“I’m very tired, that’s all,” Selene demurred, still giggling slightly.  
“Well, remember that laughing is good when you’re wide awake, too.” Erika raised her glass in a toast. “Welcome home, Selene.”  
“Welcome home, Erika.”  
They drained their glasses. Selene leaned back on the couch. “Oh, that’s better,” she murmured contentedly.  
By the time Selene crawled out of the bath, it wasn’t yet two in the morning, but both women gratefully tumbled into bed and fell asleep almost instantly. Selene was too exhausted to even care that they were both naked, the sole exception being the towel wrapped around Selene’s still damp hair.

Erika woke about an hour before sunset. A heavy rain had started, and she listened to the still novel sound of rain on the roof. Her cheek rested on bare skin, and she raised her head slightly to discover she had been using Selene’s right shoulder as her pillow. Sometime during the day she must have snuggled up to her. One of her arms was draped across Selene’s hip, and intertwined with one of Selene’s arms. Erika cautiously lay her head back down. With chagrin she realized she’d been leaving a steady stream of drool down Selene’s back. The dark-haired immortal was still fast asleep, her breathing deep and regular.  
With great care, Erika pulled her arm free and rolled away. Selene stirred slightly but did not wake. Deciding to let her friend sleep, Erika slipped quietly out of the bed. Having no bathrobe, she took the extra blanket folded over the rocking chair and draped it over her shoulders. She padded into the living room, and very cautiously parted the drapes.  
It was not yet night, but for all practical purposes, it would be safe for her to go outside. The downpour was a heavy one, and the clouds were pushing off to the west. Erika knew the clouds alone would not be enough to protect her from ultraviolet light, but if she covered herself well, and was careful not to expose her face and hands directly to the sky for too long, she could avoid sun poisoning. She checked the time by the kitchen clock – at the moment, the only clock they had – it was five thirty in the afternoon. The rain would continue until well after sunset. She could practically smell the clouds hanging over the city.   
Returning to the bedroom, she dressed quickly and quietly. Selene didn’t stir, for all practical purposes dead to the world.   
Erika leaned over to pull the covers over Selene’s bared shoulders. Deciding she did not want to go out without leaving Selene a note, Erika returned to the landing, and rummaged through the sideboard. To her relief, she found both pencil and paper in one of the drawers. She scribbled a quick note on the pad: _Gone to do Mrs. M’s shopping – home soon._ She hesitated for a moment, then added, _I love you_ at the bottom. Feeling foolish, she turned the pencil over, intending to erase her postscript; then decided to leave it and put the pencil away. She tore the sheet of paper off the pad, tiptoed back into the bedroom and left the note on the nightstand on Selene’s side of the bed.  
Erika shrugged into her only jacket and left through the back door in the kitchen, closing the door behind her as quietly as she could. She quickly descended the back stairs and gently rapped on the first floor apartment door.  
“Mrs. McGillicuddy?” she called softly. “Are you there? It’s me, Erika.”  
Erika listened carefully, and to her own surprise, she could hear the old woman shuffling towards the door from the other end of the house – despite the fact the rain was making a hollow seashell roar around the entire building. The lock and latch turned, and the door swung open.  
“Good afternoon, dear, please come in,” Mrs. McGillicuddy said.  
Erika stepped inside, and found that Mrs. McGillicuddy’s kitchen, like their own, was in back of the house. The two floor plans were apparently laid out almost exactly the same. Mrs. McGillicuddy’s own kitchen was considerably more cluttered, with a large wood island in the center, with pots and pans hanging overhead on a surprisingly elegant ceiling fixture, and a small army of potted plants bracing the windowsill. Instinctively, Erika turned her back to the window, although the house across the way ensured the entire yard and window were covered in shadow.  
“It’s a bit wet to go shopping, isn’t it?” Mrs. McGillicuddy asked.  
Erika smiled. “I thought people who lived in Seattle didn’t bother about the rain.”  
“I suppose that’s true for some,” the old woman agreed. “Look, dear, you don’t really have to go tonight. What I need can certainly wait for a day or two.”  
“I don’t mind,” Erika assured her. “I start my new job tomorrow night, and I have a little shopping of my own to do before then. I think my first night at work will be rather busy. Besides, I’ve only been in Seattle a few days, and I’d really like to learn my way around. Where’s your shopping list?”  
“Here it is, dear,” Mrs. McGillicuddy handed her a slip of paper that had been stuck to the refrigerator with a small magnet. “If you really want to go tonight, would you like to use the car?”  
“Actually, I don’t have a license, Mrs. McGillicuddy. I was planning to walk.”  
“Walk? Gracious! It’s pouring outside!”  
“I know,” Erika beamed. “Isn’t it wonderful?”   
Erika didn’t add that the heavy rain provided her with one of few opportunities when she could safely go outside during daylight hours.  
“Don’t you have an umbrella, at least? Or a raincoat?”  
“Oh… ah. I’m afraid not. This jacket is all I have.”  
“Well, for goodness’ sake, we can’t let you go out like that. You’ll drown yourself, child! I have a nice mackintosh you can wear. If you don’t mind wearing an old lady’s coat, that is.”  
“I don’t want to put you to any trouble, Mrs. McGillicuddy.”  
“Call me Rose, dear, that’s my name.” Mrs. McGillicuddy opened the hallway closet and started rummaging. “Is your friend Selene going to brave the elements too?”  
“No,” Erika laughed. “She’s still asleep.”  
“Still?”  
“Yes, we usually sleep during the day.”  
“Ah, you did tell me that, dear. I remember now. A-HA!” The old woman found what she was looking for and extracted a bright yellow raincoat with matching wide-brimmed hat from the mass of clothing sandwiched in the tiny closet. “This should do. At least you have the sense to wear good boots.”  
“Thanks. It took me a while to find a nice pair,” Erika admitted. “So, where’s the closest grocery store around here?”  
“Well, that depends on whether you want to take the bus a few blocks. There’s a nice grocer's up on 15th, but if you’re brave enough to walk the whole way, the Capitol Hill Market is a lot closer. It’s only about five blocks from here. Here, try this on.”  
Erika took the raincoat and shrugged herself into it, and found it fit surprisingly well.  
“This is really nice of you… Rose,” she thanked the old woman sincerely.  
“All right, now you be careful out there. I don’t want you catching a chill your first night here.” The old woman handed Erika two heavy, plastic lined shopping bags with handles. “These will keep the groceries reasonably dry for you. They have a flap that folds over the top to keep the rain out.”  
As Erika experimented with the flap on one of the bags, Rose added, “Since you’re willing to brave the wet and cold, buy yourself a few groceries too. Here’s my card.”  
“Rose, I can’t do that,” Erika remonstrated. “It’s very kind of you to offer, but – ”  
“Please,” Rose insisted. “Even though you’re starting work this week, I’d say it will be two weeks at least before you see your first paycheck. And I’m guessing, since you just came halfway around the world, money must be tight for you. In fact, unless you’ve been to a currency exchange, I’ll bet you don’t have a single American dollar on you. Now, isn’t that so?”  
Erika hesitated, then nodded ruefully.  
“I thought as much. Take this,” the old woman handed her a small wedge of plastic. “Now, I’m not expecting you to buy out the store. But if you need some bread or milk, I don’t mind paying for those. That’s a prepaid card, though, so whatever you buy, keep the receipt for me, so I’ll know what the balance is.”  
“I was wanting to get some tea, and some ginger root,” Erika admitted. “And a few other things.”  
“Well then, dear, by all means buy them while you’re getting my stuff. And this isn’t a loan. I’m not expecting you to pay me back. Think of it… as a housewarming gift,” Rose suggested brightly.  
“Thank you,” Erika said graciously, taking the bags and the card. “You and Steve have been so very kind to us. I don’t know how to tell you how grateful we are.”  
“You’re welcome, dear. Now run along. And be careful.”  
“I will. And don’t worry. I should be back in about an hour or so.”  
“I’ll leave the kitchen door open for you,” Rose said. “Just leave the coat and hat on the peg by the stairs, I’ll fetch them later.”  
“I will,” Erika promised. “See you later!”  
Erika left by the back landing, and with a little thrill of exhilaration, she stepped out into the pouring rain. She hopped down the three brick steps and went out through the side gate. She couldn’t help smiling broadly; she was actually out of doors in the daytime, and excited at the prospect of exploring the neighborhood in proper daylight.  
As Steve had indicated, the neighborhood was an older one; most of the single family homes had been converted to rentals, and only a few blocks away, larger and more modern apartment buildings abutted the commercial district. Erika was practically giddy as she walked down the street. There was so much to see!  
Her voyage of discovery continued as she arrived at the market. She took her time, going up and down each aisle, carefully examining everything on the shelves. The prices were unfamiliar to her; she was still unused to American currency and thankful for the opportunity to get a sense of the cost of things. It was true that she and Selene needed clothing more than they needed food, but they would still want to avail themselves of teas, herbs, and personal care items. And unlike her first shopping experience, this time she was able to be a proper paying customer. She could relax and enjoy the experience. No need to be furtive.   
She took care of Rose’s list first, then quickly picked out a few items for herself and Selene: napkins, a roll of toilet tissue, paper towels, a small lighter, scented candles, a package of disposable razors, lightly perfumed soap, shampoo, lotion, two boxes of tea – “Green and regular,” Erika giggled to herself as she put the boxes into her basket – a gallon of distilled water, ginger root, honey and some fresh herbs in plastic pouches. As she shopped, she chatted amiably with several other customers and with the cashier at the counter, and decided that her new neighbors were on the whole a nice lot. Night had fallen by the time she left the market, and the rain made brilliant prisms of all the street lights.   
Erika was still wearing her ear-to-ear grin by the time she got back to the house. She stopped at the landing, closed the outer door and shook off the raincoat – and with it, nearly a gallon of rainwater. Although she was reasonably well protected against the weather, her hair was quite damp as she took off the hat. She hung both the coat and hat on the peg near the door, and knocked before opening the kitchen door and letting herself in.  
“Rose?” she called softly.  
Mrs. McGillicuddy ambled in from the living room. “Goodness gracious, aren’t you a proper duck! You weren’t joking about being out in the rain, were you? You were gone almost two hours – I was starting to get worried.”  
“Two hours?” Erika said in surprise. “Really? I had no idea.”  
“That’s all right, dear. Now that I know you’re safe. Did you go exploring?”  
“Not really,” Erika answered, putting the grocery bags on the counter. “I went straight to the market and came straight home. I was just… looking around at everything.”  
“It couldn’t have been that interesting,” Rose laughed.  
Erika laughed too. “It’s all new to me,” she observed. “I just wanted to soak it all in.”  
“Soak it in is right – you’re nearly wet through!”  
Erika stepped back. “Am I dripping on the floor? I’m so sorry – ”  
“Oh, for goodness’ sake, dear, it’s only water. It’ll wash out.”  
Erika laughed again. “Of course. Do you need help putting these away? Oh, by the way, here’s your receipt. And your card.”  
“Thank you, dear. No, I can manage these. You did the part I needed, bringing them home.”  
“Thank you again for letting us use your card to buy groceries,” Erika said. “It really is a big help to us.”  
“It’s my pleasure, dear.”  
“Is there anything else you need tonight? I want to check on Selene. I imagine she must be dreadfully worried. I hadn’t planned to be gone quite this long.”  
“You go on right ahead, dear. And thank you. Have a good night.”  
“Thank you, Rose,” Erika smiled, closing the door. “See you tomorrow!”  
Erika bounded up the back stairs, only to find the upstairs apartment dark and silent. Bemused, she wondered for a moment if Selene might have gone out after her. She peeked into the bedroom, and found Selene still in bed. Somewhat worried, Erika crossed to the far side of the bed to check on her friend. Selene was still asleep, but stirring slightly; she would wake on her own in the next few minutes. Deciding not to rush the process, Erika returned to the kitchen, and lit one of the candles – her sensitive eyes preferred candlelight to the harsh glare of electric lights – and put the water and perishables into the refrigerator. Then she set about looking through the kitchen cupboards in earnest.  
The kitchen had only a few utensils, but fortunately there was everything Erika had hoped would be available: a small saucepan for boiling water, a cutting board with two knives, a few plates and heavy ceramic coffee cups, and even a set of slightly tarnished silverware.  
Erika set some water to boil, and then took out the ginger root and started carefully slicing thin wedges, which she dropped into the water. While the water heated, Erika took one of the blood bags from the refrigerator and carefully poured out enough to fill two small plastic cups. As soon as the water reached high boil, Erika removed the saucepan from the burner, and covered it to steep. She took out two coffee mugs, rinsed them clean, then put a teaspoon of honey into each. She set the personal care items in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom, and the honey and paper goods into the pantry.   
A few minutes later, she stepped into the bedroom with all the cups on a tray, along with the candle, which she set on the nightstand on her own side of the bed. Selene had finally rolled over and was rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.  
“What’s this?” she asked, yawning.  
“It’s breakfast in bed, of course,” Erika grinned. “Welcome to your first full night in your new home.”  
She set the tray on the nightstand, and offered one of the blood-filled cups to Selene. Selene sat up gingerly, grimacing as she did so.  
“Are you all right?” Erika asked.  
“My back gets stiff, that’s all,” Selene grunted. “It will loosen up once I get up and move around.” She finished putting a pillow behind her for support, then, realizing she was naked, quickly drew the blanket up over her.  
“I told you, you don’t need to be modest on my account,” Erika smiled, handing her the cup.   
Selene took the cup gratefully and sipped slowly. “What’s the other stuff?” she asked, wrinkling her nose.  
“Ginger tea. For you,” Erika explained.  
“I’m not sick anymore,” Selene protested.  
“So you say,” Erika answered, sitting on the edge of the bed next to Selene and taking her own cup of blood. “You’ve barely moved since we got here. You’re still not well, are you?”  
“I’m feeling better. Really. I’m still tired, but I don’t hurt anywhere. There’s no pain.”  
Erika smiled. “Well, hopefully, now that you have someplace clean and warm to rest, and good blood to drink whenever you need it, you’ll soon feel like your old self again. No more rats for us!”  
“I’ll drink to that,” Selene declared, and the two vampires toasted with their plastic cups. “You’ve been out already?”  
“I went grocery shopping for Rose. She paid for our first bag of groceries, by the way.”  
“She did?” Selene seemed bemused. “That was kind of her.”  
“I thought so too. I picked up a few things for you. I don’t really know your preferences, but once we get settled, we can start making lists of the things we want and need.”  
“Thank you,” Selene said sincerely. Then she frowned. “What time is it?”  
“Almost eight o’clock.”  
Selene’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “I must have been more tired than I thought. I never sleep that late.”  
“I thought you were an early riser.”  
“I did too,” Selene smiled ruefully. “Although, frankly, I feel like I could go back to sleep right now.”  
“Maybe that’s not such a bad idea,” Erika said. “We haven’t exactly had an easy time of it, have we? And there’s nothing we really need to do tonight, nowhere we need to go.”  
“When do you start work?”  
“Tomorrow night.” Erika made a face. “I just realized, I have to come up with something to use for work clothes.”  
“What’s wrong with what you have on?”  
“Nothing, really, but in the hospital, the orderlies, nurses and staff usually wear scrubs. I suppose I could sneak by my first couple of nights without a uniform.”  
Selene shrugged, not understanding the nuances of hospital dress and not especially caring. “So, are you planning to knock over another department store?”  
“Absolutely not!” Erika grinned and shuddered at the same time. “I sincerely hope my career as a shoplifter is permanently over. But one thing we will need to do, is find out where all the clothing stores are. You and I have only three outfits apiece, and one of my outfits doesn’t even fit me – we’re going to need more clothes than that!”  
“But clothing’s expensive,” Selene frowned.  
“Yes, it is,” Erika agreed. “For now, we’ll have to go for thrift shop chic. On my salary, that’s all we’ll be able to afford.”  
Selene had finished her blood, so Erika took the empty cup and handed her the mug of ginger tea.  
“Please drink it,” Erika urged her gently. “It’ll help your stomach.”  
Reluctantly, Selene took the mug and sipped. “This is good,” she admitted in pleased surprise.  
“Do you need any more blood?”  
“I think I’m all right for now.” She smiled. “Thank you – for breakfast in bed. That was sweet of you.”  
“You’re welcome. Is there anything I can do for you, Selene? Anything at all?”  
“I’m all right, Erika, really.” Erika apparently did not look convinced, so Selene added, “If I need anything, I promise I’ll ask you straight away.”  
Erika, mollified, took the tray and the empty cups back to the kitchen, while Selene sipped at her mug of ginger tea. Seeing the note on the nightstand, Selene picked it up, read it, and a thoughtful look crossed her face. She opened the drawer of the nightstand and tucked the note inside. Erika returned a moment later, and asked, “So, we’re just going to turn in, then?”  
“You don’t have to,” Selene answered. “But yes, I think you’re right, rest is the best thing for me right now. So I’m going to try to do just that.”  
“All right. I’ll turn in too. After all, I start work tomorrow night, and I have a feeling once I start working I won’t have time to catch my breath.”  
Erika slowly began undressing, taking inordinate care with smoothing out the wrinkles in her clothes, hanging them up, and finding places in the dresser for her underwear, casually padding around the room completely naked. Selene watched her, sipping at her tea, and finally smiled.  
“Showing off for me?” she asked quietly.  
Erika smiled shyly in return. “It’s not so much that I’m trying to show off,” she explained. “I’m just… extending an invitation.”  
“Thank you.” Selene tried to be as gracious as she could manage. “Maybe later, when I’m feeling a little better.”  
Erika was willing to accept her friend’s polite refusal. She turned down the covers on her side of the bed, and slid under them. Selene finished the last of her tea and set the mug on the nightstand, then wriggled back down into the bed herself. Erika blew out the candle, and listened to the rain on the roof, enjoying its dull, echoing roar. Then she shifted her shoulder slightly and turned her head.  
“Selene?”  
“Mmm.”  
“Would you mind if I spooned you?”  
There was a slight pause, as if Selene were considering the question. “Are you going to let me sleep?” she asked in response, her speech already heavy with somnolence.  
“Yes, of course,” Erika promised.  
“Mmmkay.”  
Delighted, Erika carefully cuddled up against Selene’s bare back, pressing her warmer skin against Selene’s, gently sliding her arm over Selene’s hip. Selene stirred slightly, but was already well on the way to unconsciousness. Erika was still desperately worried about Selene’s health, but knowing they now had a place where they could rest in warmth and safety was a huge relief. Realizing that she too was more tired than she first thought, Erika rested her cheek against Selene’s shoulder blade, and after only a few moments of listening to the rain, fell fast asleep.

* * *

The vampire had been found less than two hours before Raze and his team of alphas were set to decamp from Great House. The Lycans threw him at Raze's feet, bloodied and savaged, the remains of his Death Dealer uniform in tattered rags.   
Raze looked at his young lieutenant with a questioning glare. In silent reply, the Lycan held out a large automatic weapon for his leader's inspection. Raze took the gun, and regarded it briefly. There were still two full rounds in the magazine. Hollow point bullets, their tips filled with a bright bluish liquid. Daylight bullets. He looked down at the vampire.  
"You kill your own kind?" he growled.  
"I was seeking the traitor," the vampire spat defiantly in return.   
Raze frowned, not understanding. "Traitor?"  
"The huntress. Selene."  
Raze almost snorted his amusement. "She cannot be killed by the likes of you."  
"She would be dead already, if your cretinous cubs here hadn't stopped me."  
The vampire was going to die. He knew it. Raze knew it. All the Lycans surrounding them both knew it. The vampire was determined to be as contemptuous as he could manage in front of his mortal enemies, to extract some shallow moral victory before his own demise.  
One of the Lycans stomped on the vampire's head, brutally and angrily. The force of the blow would have crushed a normal human head. For the vampire, it only meant pain.  
"Show respect," the Lycan snarled.  
With the briefest flick of his huge hand, Raze summoned for his men to fall back. There might still be some value to this brief interview.   
"Where is she?" Raze asked pointedly.  
The vampire could no longer lift himself upright by his mangled arms; he could barely raise his own head. A large pool of blood was welling underneath him, and the Lycans meant to ensure the wounds would never close.   
"You wish her dead?" the vampire sneered.  
Again, Raze had to suppress a snort of amusement. _Yes, I wish her dead. But I want to give her a medal first._ No one person had done more to bring about the fall of Great House than Selene. Her summary execution of the Elder Viktor had ensured the end of the vampire reign. That one domino had toppled many others; and in consequence the great vampire coven had collapsed like a house of cards - as Lucien had long predicted it would. To himself, Raze mused thoughtfully, _I would honor this woman as I do the noblest of our warriors. And out of respect, I would let her die fighting. Face to face. Fang to claw. She deserves that much._  
"Tell me where she is," Raze commanded.  
The vampire's face twisted into an ugly sneer. "A bargain for my life?"  
Raze shrugged. "Your life is lost," he said bluntly. "Your death can be slow and agonizing. Or it can be quick and painless. The choice is yours."  
"She will die by a vampire's hand, or else by none."  
Raze nodded tersely to his lieutenant. The interview was over.   
"Eat him slowly," Raze told his men, and they dragged the vampire away, cursing and snarling.   
"Rip out his jaw first," he suggested as they departed. "I'm tired of the noise he makes."  
There was a strangled scream, the crunch of bone, then silence.   
Raze turned to his lieutenant. "Where was he found?"  
"About twenty miles outside the city. In the forests. Near a car wreck. There are vampire scents all over the vehicle, but nothing recent."  
"Start your search there," Raze ordered.   
The young Lycan regarded his alpha questioningly. "You believe the Death Dealer is still alive?"  
Raze gave him the barest hint of a smile. If Kraven had only let Selene be his first warrior, instead of wasting all his time wooing her, the war would have ended decades ago. And the vampires would have won.  
"I want to make sure she's dead," he answered, dismissing him.   
The lieutenant turned tail and left his alpha's presence. Raze pondered over what he had just learned.  
_Where are you, huntress?_ he wondered silently, staring into the darkness. But there were no answers in the black, so Raze shrugged resignedly, and turned his full attention back to the more immediate concern of getting his people safely home.


	8. Chapter 8

_Coven of Two_

It was still raining when Erika finally stirred, nearly eighteen hours later. The young immortal lifted her head groggily, momentarily disoriented; then, remembering where she was, lay her head back down in relief. She felt warm and happy and safe for the first time in weeks. Like the night before, she found herself snuggled up tightly against Selene, her cheek resting on her companion’s shoulder. Erika took a moment to savor the pleasure of the contact of their bare skin and shared body heat. Selene was still fast asleep. Erika felt a pang of worry, but relaxed as Selene stirred slightly, clearly resting comfortably. Erika offered up a silent prayer of thanks for their sanctuary.  
There was no time to lay idle in bed, however. Knowing she would have to leave soon for work, Erika gently pulled her arms free from Selene’s waist, and – with great reluctance – got out of bed, shivering with cold as she left its warmth behind. She padded into the kitchen and checked the clock. It was four-thirty in the afternoon. She didn’t need to be at the lab until eight, which would give her enough time to check on Rose, and run any errands the woman needed.  
Trying to make as little noise as possible, she bathed and dressed quickly, and when it became obvious Selene was not going to wake right away, Erika breakfasted alone, with a six ounce glass of blood and a cup of green tea sweetened with lemongrass. _After all, you don’t want a bad case of blood breath putting off your new co-workers, do you?_ Erika gently chided herself. _The next time you go shopping, buy some peppermint gum._  
A quick glance out the east window told Erika that today’s clouds would not be enough to protect her from the sun. She would have to wait at least another hour before she could safely leave the house. Still, nothing would prevent her from going downstairs, and seeing if Rose needed anything before going to work.  
As before, Erika left a note for her companion on her nightstand, before slipping out by way of the kitchen door.  
 _First night at work!! I should be home around 5 AM. I’m going to miss you tonight. The spare house key is in the left drawer of the sideboard, in case you want to go out. Take care of yourself and rest, and I’ll see you before the sun is up._  
Erika quietly descended the steps to the first floor landing, and knocked on Rose’s door. The old woman must have been in the kitchen, as she opened the door right away.  
“Good afternoon, Mrs. McGill – Rose,” Erika caught herself.  
Rose fairly beamed. “Hello, Erika dear. What can I do for you?”  
“Actually, I was just coming to see if there was anything I could do for you. I’ve got about an hour before I have to leave for work.”  
“Well, that’s very sweet of you. Why don’t you come in for a minute?”  
“Thank you.”  
“I was just about to pour tea,” Mrs. McGillicuddy said, closing the kitchen door behind them. “Would you like to join me?”  
In spite of the fact she had just supped, Erika smiled sweetly. “Thank you, Rose, that would be lovely.”  
“Come have a seat at the table then.”  
Erika went through to the dining room. When Rose entered with the tea tray, Erika started to get out of her seat to offer assistance.  
“It’s all right, dear, I can manage,” Rose assured her, setting the tray down on the table. “So. Tonight’s the first night at the new job?”  
“This is it,” Erika admitted. “I'm really nervous. I want to make a good impression.” She didn’t add that all her hopes were currently pinned on this new job; there was really no need. Rose nodded sympathetically as she set out the saucers and teacups.  
“I’m sure you’ll do just fine, dear.” She paused. “Is your friend Selene home? Would she like to join us?”  
“I’m afraid she’s still sleeping.”  
“Gracious! She sleeps a lot, doesn’t she?”  
“I wish I could join her,” Erika sighed. “I think our internal clocks are still adjusting to the new local time. I nearly slept a day and half as it is!”  
“I suppose that’s to be expected,” Rose nodded thoughtfully. “You did come from the other side of the world, after all.” Her brow furrowed as she thought of something. “You know, I didn’t set out any biscuits or anything. Where are my manners? Would you like something to eat?”  
“Actually, I just had breakfast, so a cup of tea is fine. Thank you.”  
“Is something troubling you, dear?”  
Erika almost flinched; the old woman was certainly able to read her! “I was just thinking, this will be the first night that Selene and I have been apart in – well, a long time. And I don’t have any way to call her. I just want to check on her and make sure she’s all right.”  
“Isn’t she well?” Rose asked.  
“She’s fine, it’s just – I don’t like not being able to reach her.” To herself she added sternly, _No one’s trying to shoot you here. Relax._  
“You’re welcome to use my phone any time, Erika.”  
“Thank you, Rose, but I don’t think either of us wants me barging into your kitchen in the middle of the night to make phone calls. After I get my first paycheck, I’ll have a private line put in upstairs.”  
“Well, there are lines already upstairs, dear, so all you need to do is call the phone company and have them activated. Although you’ll probably want to do that now, because it will probably take them two or three weeks to turn on new service.”  
“That’s a thought,” Erika agreed.  
The women chatted amiably for another few minutes, as Erika took the opportunity to ask Rose about the neighborhood at length – where the best shops were, where to go for entertainment, and how to get around. Erika also made arrangements to do Rose’s laundry later in the week. After finishing her tea, Erika got up to leave.  
“Thank you so much for the tea,” she said graciously. “This has been wonderful. But now I really have to get to work.”  
“Good luck, dear. And don’t worry. You’ll do fine.”  
Erika felt she could have hugged the old woman then and there for showing such simple faith in her. When she finally left the house, it was nearly dark; the cloud cover provided just enough extra protection to allow Erika to move about outside before the sun had actually set. Still taking no chances, Erika kept all but her face covered up – and if she could have covered her entire face without drawing attention to herself, she would have done that as well.  
She arrived at the hospital at ten minutes to eight. She had an anxious moment when she first walked into the lab. Doctor Halloway looked at her quizzically, as if he couldn’t quite place her. Erika turned on her charm and was able to bluff her way through re-introductions without having to resort to fascination. As it turned out, there was only one other technician on duty that evening; a trim, pretty woman named Renee, closing in on middle age but still youthful and vibrant. Renee promised Doctor Halloway that she would oversee training responsibilities; and Halloway, satisfied, left to oversee responsibilities of his own.  
“So, this is the hematology lab,” Erika said, looking around her.  
“Hematology?” Renee arched an eyebrow in amused surprise. “We don’t just handle blood down here, honey. We process everything. If you can shit it, piss it, spit it, sneeze it, cough it up or otherwise squeeze it out of your body, we analyze it. What’s the matter, don’t you have any work clothes?”  
“I just arrived in Seattle a couple of days ago,” Erika said shyly. “I don’t even know where I can go to find some good smocks.”  
“Don’t worry. There are a half dozen places downtown where you can buy good gear. Although frankly, you can get better prices if you buy online. We’ll make sure you get fixed up before you leave tonight. Actually, if you don’t mind hand-me-downs, I have a few old outfits that will tide you over until you can get your own. You’re, ah, a little fuller than I am, but I think they might still fit you. You can at least try them on and see if they’ll do.”  
“Thank you,” Erika said, genuinely grateful. “I’d like that very much.”  
“Great. First, though, let me give you the grand tour, so you’ll know where everything is. If you have any questions, just ask. Actually, ask lots of questions,” she added. "I just adore that English accent of yours."  
Renee spent over an hour walking Erika through the suite of rooms that made up the lab. Erika was surprised to see that the lab took up almost the entire length of the wing, although each room in the suite had its own special orientation and equipment; the oncology lab was by far the largest room, with the most extensive apparatus.  
When they took a break, Renee asked with a smile, “Brain boiling over yet?”  
“My head is spinning,” Erika admitted. “There’s so much to learn.”  
“Don’t worry about trying to memorize this stuff,” Renee said. “You’ll be doing it in your sleep before you know it. For tonight, you can shadow me. Tomorrow, I’ll let you drive, and stand over your shoulder and criticize you relentlessly.”  
Erika laughed. “That sounds great. Thank you.” She glanced around. “I haven’t seen anyone else. Are we the only ones on duty tonight?”  
“It’s normal for the graveyard shift to have just one or two technicians. During the day, this place is buzzing with dozens of people. Don’t worry. The nurses drop off samples every hour. We’ll have plenty of work to keep us awake. When we go to break, we’ll go the internet kiosk and see what we can do about finding you some lab scrubs.”  
Erika sighed disconsolately. “I think I’m going to spend my entire first paycheck on clothes.”  
“Sounds like fun,” Renee grinned.

Over an hour after Erika had left, Selene finally stirred; first, drawing in a deep breath to re-awaken herself, then letting her eyelids flutter open. She closed them again, not quite ready to rejoin the world of tactile sensation. Instead, she lay comfortably for a time, just listening to the old house, which creaked and groaned and puffed and wheezed like a living thing. After assuring herself that the sounds she heard were perfectly ordinary, she went about the disagreeable task of prizing her eyelids open, and slowly sitting up, favoring the stiffness in her lower back.  
Erika's bedside note cheerfully waved to her, and Selene picked it up, read it, read it again, and the faintest trace of a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. She opened the drawer of her nightstand, and carefully placed the note beside the earlier one.  
As she sat back up, Selene caught a glimpse of herself in the freestanding mirror; dark hair tousled, eyes swollen from sleep, her mouth set in a thin, disapproving line. She gingerly slipped out of the bed, putting her feet carefully on the floor, and then stood up slowly, all her joints and muscles protesting with even the slowest movement.  
She walked over to the mirror, stark naked, and examined herself critically, not from any vanity but from a true desire to see if she looked as bad as she felt. She let her gaze wander downwards, from the sour expression on her own face, past her slight, boyish frame, the pale lightning bolts of her scars, and slender, fawnish legs. In her own opinion, she looked haggard. Even for immortals, pale by human standards, she had a sickly chalk-white aspect to her skin that revulsed and slightly worried her.  
_You haven't eaten yet,_ she reminded herself. _Have some blood first. That will help._ Yet she didn't feel even remotely hungry.  
She regarded herself with less criticality now; turning slightly to examine herself from the sides and, as much as was feasible, her own back. This was something she had never done before - not in the hundreds of years since she'd been turned - inspecting herself with such intimacy. The thought had never before occurred to her to do so, and she vaguely wondered why she was doing it now. Her gaze returned to where it started, to her dark, pitiless eyes; even when her immortal aspect was dormant, her irises were nearly the color of her pupils, giving her a sinister aspect. She tried smiling, and immediately stopped, startled by the sheer foreignness of the gesture; that was an expression for another woman, not her. Her expression changed now, not by her own design, but seemingly by itself, to one of sorrow and uncertainty.  
"What does she see in me?" she asked the mirror aloud, but her reflection gave no answer, only returning her dour, almost mournful gaze.  
Shrugging her head in irritation, annoyed with herself, Selene went into the kitchen. After a moment's searching, she found a small glass in the cupboard. She took out one of the blood bags from the refrigerator and carefully poured a small amount into the glass. She wasn't hungry, but she knew she had to eat - particularly if she was not feeling well. She brought the glass to her lips and drained it in a few gulps. There was nothing remotely appetizing about cold, stored blood; it had none of the flavor, texture or heat from a living being. It was all Selene could do to choke it down. She had to remind herself, that in this place, she could not be the predator she once was. If this ruse was to work - for ruse it was - she would have to play the part. Sighing, she returned the blood bag to the refrigerator and rinsed out the glass, leaving it on the sill of the sink.  
Selene returned to the bedroom, and removed her uniform from the closet. She stood in front of the mirror again, holding the black leather and latex outfit in front of her. Her own gaze turned thoughtful. She began to dress, slowly, watching herself in the mirror as she did so; again, something she had never once done, ever.  
As she zipped up the front of her suit, now fully dressed except for her boots, she looked marginally like her old self again; the blood had removed a little of the pallor from her cheeks, and despite the fact she had neither holster nor weapon, she gave herself a grudging nod of approval. She had already decided she needed to go out. It wasn't important whether she went very far or stayed out very long. She was a hunter, and this was unfamiliar terrain. If this was going to be home now, she needed to know the lay of the land, should she ever need to turn it to her own advantage. She mulled over the realization she hadn't bathed; unbidden, a thought came to her to mind, and she almost laughed: _Maybe you should share a bath with Erika when she returns home._  
The thought caught her by such surprise that she glared at herself fiercely in the glass. "What is the _matter_ with you?" she asked herself, sternly. But even if she knew the answer, she wasn't quite ready to admit it. Abruptly, she left the room, seeking her boots and long coat near the sideboard.  
A few moments later, Selene emerged onto the porch, carefully pocketing the house key in one of the interior pockets of her coat. The early evening air was cool and damp, and Selene immediately felt better for having the wind blowing gently on her face. Low hanging clouds scudded across the sky, but for the moment the rain had stopped; it would be another hour, perhaps two, before they had gathered in sufficient force again to bring the sort of torrential rain that had greeted her upon her first arrival.  
Reaching the street, Selene decided for a first night she would simply canvass the immediate neighborhood; and let her own body dictate the extent to which she could inspect her new surroundings. In a completely arbitrary choice, she decided to walk to the end of the block and head north, crisis-crossing the streets immediately around her own, first at street level; then, if the area seemed safe enough, she would take to the rooftops for a better view. At this hour, the street was deserted of foot traffic. The occasional car rumbled by, but Selene kept to the sidewalk, deciding - for the moment - she did not want to know all the vehicles of her neighbors just yet. Although she made note it might be an undertaking in the near future. It was always good to know if anyone new came into the neighborhood.  
As she walked, Selene realized with dismay she still felt distinctly weak and almost giddy - all her strength seemed to have left her body, and it was only force of will that kept her moving. She no longer felt ill, but she clearly wasn't well; and while stranded in that puzzling limbo in between sickness and health, she hoped the light exercise could do her no harm. Even her boots seemed unusually heavy, and she had to step with an exaggerated lift in her legs to keep from shuffling.  
She made it around the first block, and then the second, without incident; the neighborhood seemed quiet and almost somnambulant. But as Selene completed the third block, she was aware that her heart was pounding from exertion and that she felt slightly short of breath - simply by walking. Her unease growing, she decided to cut her inspection short, and take the most direct path home - over the rooftops. She sidled up to one of the houses, which had darkened windows, and after tensing for a moment, leapt upward - and missed the rain gutter by several inches, landing on the wet grass in an undignified heap.  
Selene sat up gingerly, her heart now pounding, not from exertion but from genuine fear: her vampiric powers were gone. She had no strength, no stamina - and lacked even the ability to leap to a rooftop, something which should have posed no issue for her whatever. She was not used to feeling afraid, not like this; and after sitting for a moment, fighting down a rising panic, she got painfully to her feet and began to hobble her way towards home.

By the end of their first night together, Renee felt that Erika could handle most of the tests on her own, and let her run several of the tests while Renee checked her work. Doctor Halloway stopped in twice more during the evening, and Erika overheard Renee giving a glowing report of her progress. Breathing a sigh of relief, Erika returned to work, immersing herself in her new duties. Before she realized, it was four in the morning, and her first shift had ended without incident or complications.  
“Will you be here tomorrow?” Erika asked Renee.  
“For the next two weeks, you and I will be together every night when you’re working,” Renee promised. “Once we’re sure you can handle things on your own, then you and I will alternate some nights, but there will still be a couple of nights a week when we work together. For now, though, you’re a free woman. Got any plans for your morning?”  
“Actually, I’m planning to go straight home and check on my friend Selene. She’s, ah, been a little under the weather, so I just want to be sure that she’s all right.”  
“Selene’s your roommate?” Renee ventured, with intentional vagueness.  
“Ah… yes. Yes, she is.”  
Renee gave Erika what seemed to be a conspiratorial smile. “Well, I won’t keep you then. Welcome aboard, Erika. See you later!”  
“Thank you, Renee. For everything," Erika said with total sincerity. "I’ll see you tomorrow.”  
“Take care, kiddo.”  
As Erika was about to exit the hospital, she realized, with a grimace of dismay, the city buses were not yet running – the first routes didn’t start until five in the morning. This was something else she hadn’t considered. There was no danger of her not getting home before sunrise, as long as she took the first bus out; but the realization gave her pause. Even for an immortal, it would be a long, tiring walk from the medical center to Rose’s house. She would have to plan her commutes more carefully in the future.  
Stranded for the moment, Erika went into the commissary and helped herself to a cup of orange spice tea. At this early hour, she had the entire room to herself. She took a seat at a table near one of the windows, so she could watch for the bus, and sipped her tea thoughtfully. With only the emergency lighting on, she could see the street outside through the thick glass, and she stared at the puddles in the asphalt, the concentric circles that radiated outward as scattered raindrops fell into them. She wished again that she had some way to call Selene, to let her know she was all right – and to make sure Selene was all right as well. But for now, she had to wait, and she felt isolated and vulnerable.  
Not only did Erika miss Selene’s company, at that moment she felt utterly lost without her. She was no longer part of a coven made up of hundreds of souls. There was no Great House. No elders. No palace royals, no guards, no servants. It was just her and Selene now – a small, fragile, almost defenseless coven of two set adrift in a seemingly endless sea of mortals. Reluctantly, she admitted the fact to herself: she was afraid.  
She took the first bus home, and once she disembarked, she almost ran up the street, not to flee the sun, but feeling a desperate need to be at home, to be safe. As she reached the house, she was surprised to see Selene sitting at the topmost step, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees, staring out at the street without really seeing anything.  
"Selene?"  
Erika walked up the steps. Selene lifted her gaze to meet Erika's, and there was something strangely wrong in her smile; Erika felt a tiny thrill of dread running down between her shoulder blades.  
"Selene, are you all right?"  
Selene didn't immediately answer, so Erika settled herself on the porch beside her. She reached for her companion's hand and clasped it tightly. Selene returned her gaze to the street, and as Erika gently massaged her hand, she responded with some reciprocal pressure, their fingers intertwining.  
"What is it?"  
Selene didn't answer, but she shuddered slightly, as if shaking off a malaise; she turned her head and smiled at her companion. But the smile was inexpressibly sad.  
"Let's go upstairs," she suggested in voice not much above a whisper.  
Erika stood up first, waiting for a moment, watching Selene with undisguised worry. After a moment, Selene grabbed the railing of the stairs and wearily hoisted herself to her feet. Only then did Erika turn and put her key in the lock.  
They walked up the stairs to their apartment silently. Erika's heart began pounding in her chest, her worry increasing with every step. On the landing, Selene wearily shrugged herself out of her long coat, and barely seemed to find the energy to hang it on the peg. Erika slipped out of her own coat quickly.  
"Why don't you let me help you with your boots," Erika suggested, and Selene didn't argue. She sat down heavily in one of the kitchen chairs, and Erika knelt down, quickly undoing the buckles and slipping the boots off Selene's feet.  
Selene gave her friend a tired smile. "Thanks."  
Erika dropped the boots on the mat beside the coat rack. "Would you like some dinner?" she suggested hopefully.  
Selene pondered the question far longer than was really necessary and then finally nodded her head. "Yes, thank you, I think I would."  
Erika hurried away into the kitchen. Selene sat for a moment, and decided she would might be more comfortable on the couch. She got up and walked the few steps into the living room, relieved that this activity at least did not exhaust her - she half-expected that it would. Laying down, she stretched out, letting her long body settle into the soft cushions, and sighed deeply. She closed her eyes, but it was not physical tiredness that prompted this; Selene pondered for a moment, and decided she didn't feel bad, or even ill. Rather it was a peculiar absence of feeling. She was empty. Hollow. She felt like nothing truly mattered.  
Erika returned in a few moments with a tray, and Selene made an effort to sit up.  
"Thank you," she smiled, taking the proffered cup. Erika had not only brought blood for her, but more ginger tea as well.  
Erika settled herself in the large chair opposite Selene, drawing her legs up under her Indian-style. She sipped her tea and her blood alternately, not speaking, just watching Selene carefully. Selene began to feel slightly uncomfortable under Erika's unwavering gaze.  
"What is it?"  
"I'm waiting."  
"Waiting for what?"  
"For you."  
At any other time, Selene might have expressed annoyance at this; but she simply took in Erika's comment with dull acceptance. She wasn't feeling anything remotely like herself, they both knew it, and what was the point of pretending otherwise? Selene finished off her small glass of blood, and then turned her attention to the second mug.  
"Thank you for the tea."  
"You're welcome." Erika took a sip of her own tea, but she did not for an instant break her stare, watching Selene carefully with her big, round eyes. "So, you went out tonight."  
Selene made the briefest of nods. "Yes."  
"And?"  
"I just took a walk around the neighborhood. A few blocks east and north of here. I -" she paused for a moment, and then admitted, "I wasn't feeling all that well, so I came back here."  
Erika accepted this explanation without question; she was trying desperately to make conversation, not hold an interrogation.  
"What were you thinking about earlier?"  
Selene frowned in puzzlement. "When?"  
"When I met you on the porch. You looked like you were a million miles away."  
"I think perhaps I was," Selene agreed thoughtfully.  
"So, where were you then?"  
"Nowhere. Just - thinking."  
Erika decided enough was enough. Time to do a little pushing of her own. "I've been thinking, too."  
"About what?"  
"As I was sitting in the commissary this morning, I realized, neither of us can do things the way we have been used to doing them."  
"That's certain," Selene agreed somberly.  
"We are no longer part of the coven of Great House - even if that coven still exists. And I thought, can the two of us be a coven? All by ourselves?"  
"The word usually denotes a larger group. Thirteen was supposed to be the ideal number."  
"Well, it's just the two of us now, Selene. And I think we _are_ a coven. And we need a new covenant."  
It was now Selene's turn to regard Erika; she was genuinely curious as to where this train of thought was leading. "What had you in mind?"  
"It needs to be something simple. Something reduced to the barest essentials." Erika set aside her tea mug. "So how about this: I will take care of you. And you take care of me."  
Selene waited for a moment, thinking surely there must be something more. "And?"  
"And that's it. I will take care of you, and you will take care of me. That's the covenant."  
"Well, that's simple," Selene had to admit.  
"And I can't take care of you, if you won't tell me what's going on."  
Selene's only visible reaction was a slight pursing of her lips. Then she sighed heavily, and also set her own mug aside. She looked straight back into Erika's steadfast gaze.  
"I'm sick," she confessed at last.  
"Selene, I _knew_ that."  
"All my strength has left my body. I don't understand what's happening to me, I don't how to fix it, and-" Selene halted abruptly in mid-sentence, as if confused by something. "I'm frightened," she confessed at last. "And I honestly have no idea how I can be of any use to either of us."  
Erika sat in thoughtful silence for several moments. For Selene to make such a brutal admission of her own vulnerability, she had to be suffering terribly. Far more than her innate stoicism would indicate. They were both afraid. But perhaps Selene's symptoms were being exacerbated by a deeper pain.  
"Have you been thinking about Viktor?" Erika asked quietly.  
Selene's expression was one of complete surprise. "What?"  
"I'm not a soldier like you, but if I had killed my immortal father, even in self-defense, I'm not sure I could be thinking about anything else."  
Selene shifted uncomfortably in her chair. No, she had not been thinking of Viktor; but his absence cast a long shadow over Selene's subconscious. At the mention of her immortal sire's name, Selene suddenly became aware that she had been spending a breathtaking amount of energy suppressing him from her conscious thoughts - and how emotionally exhausted that effort made her.  
"Everything he told me was a lie," she said, in a voice that could barely be heard.  
Erika made no reply. She understood it would take Selene some little time to approach the subject. She sipped her tea and watched her companion silently.  
"I have been killing Lycans for centuries," Selene continued, in something closer to a normal tone of voice. "Literally, centuries. And for what? I thought I was taking my revenge for my family." She made a discreet sniff of self-abnegation. "And the truth is, I took my revenge unwittingly when I murdered the only man in Great House that I ever truly trusted."  
She turned slightly to stare out the window. She was too exhausted for tears, but a flicker of hatred - for herself, and for Viktor - still burned like acid in the pit of her stomach.  
"For the first dozen years or so, I counted my kills," Selene said. "As if knowing that number would somehow balance the scales. But in the end it meant nothing. I went on killing, because that is what I do. Whatever sense of justice I possessed died in me a long time ago. And now I am faced with the knowledge that every Lycan I ever... _murdered-"_ she paused, lingering over the word, for she had none better - "None of them were guilty of any of the crimes I projected onto them. And while I might try to persuade myself that all Lycans are our mortal enemies, who made them so... if not me, myself."  
She picked up her teacup and sipped desultorily at the now-cold liquid. "It doesn't matter who started the war. What matters is that I willingly continued it. It wasn't right. It wasn't honest. And I can't help but feel that any Lycan who ends me would be doing the world a great service."  
"Selene, you can't think like that," Erika said quietly.  
Selene made the barest off-handed shrug of her shoulders. "I no longer know what to think. Or how to act. Or what to do."  
"You feel adrift," Erika suggested, and Selene looked up at her in surprise.  
"That's a good word for it," she agreed hesitantly.  
"You can no longer be the person you were, any more than I can."  
"So, what then do we do?" Selene's question was offered in an utterly toneless voice, drained of all life and hope.  
Erika thought for a long moment. "Well, since we are a new coven, maybe we need to be new people," she said at last.  
Selene looked at her companion askance, a barely tolerating frown darkening her features. "Still playing at being mortal?"  
"I'm suggesting maybe we should stop playing."  
Selene's only response was a weary sigh.  
"Do you think you're not capable of being someone else?" Erika asked pointedly. "Do you even have any idea who you really are? Because, honestly, I don't think you do."  
Selene mulled that over. Her first instinct was to retort, angrily, that she knew exactly who and what she was. But did she? Away from Great House, a great swath of her own sense of belonging, of purpose, had been entirely lost. Did she know what she was, or what remained, without her old coven to define her?  
"No," she answered dully. "Perhaps I don't."  
"Well, then. Let me tell you about the Selene I know," Erika suggested. "Let me tell you about the person that _I_ see."  
Selene made no reply; she felt like she was teetering on the precipice of an abyss, and even though Erika was reaching out for her, she seemed unable to reach back; she could only bear mute witness to the outcome.  
"You are the protector," Erika said, choosing her words with great care. "You have always been the protector. When your mortal family was murdered, you found yourself with a new family, a new coven, which you have protected faithfully from the very first night you were turned. Maybe you thought you were seeking revenge. And possibly that was true at the start. But I think you were determined never to let such an atrocity happen again. You are not just a soldier, or a warrior. You _protect_ people, Selene. _That_ is what you do."  
Selene shook her head. "I enjoyed what I did," she said sadly.  
"Really. Why, then, did you save me?"  
"What?"  
"Why did you save me, Selene? When you found me in the dungeon, you could have very easily just walked away. Why did you go out of your way to rescue me?"  
Selene's mouth fell open in complete surprise; she couldn't think of a single thing that would serve as an answer.  
"We weren't friends," Erika pressed. "We didn't even particularly like each other. And yet, when you found me, you freed me from my chains, and dragged me from the house where I surely would have died - at tremendous risk to yourself. Why?"  
"I couldn't let you die," Selene finally answered in a hoarse whisper.  
"Why? I was nothing to you. If I was anything at all, I was your enemy. Yet in spite of that, you went to extraordinary lengths to keep me from danger. That's not the behavior of an unfeeling assassin."  
Selene looked out the window again, unable to meet Erika's gaze and momentarily overwhelmed by the rush of emotions spilling over her in thundering waves.  
"I can't even begin to understand how or why we were thrown together," Erika said. "The only conclusion I can reach is that you deliberately chose it."  
Selene visibly flinched, and she stared at Erika again, a haunted look on her face.  
"You had been with Great House more than a hundred years before you met me," Erika continued in a quiet voice. "And do you really expect me to believe, in all that time, you never bonded with _anyone?_ Never coupled with anyone? Not even once?"  
Selene made a desperate attempt to recover her sense of self-possession. "I'm - not that easy to get along with."  
_"That's_ for certain," Erika agreed readily, and Selene felt the sting of rebuke in spite of herself. "So, why did you save me, Selene?"  
Selene's gaze lost its focus; for a moment, she was no longer seeing the living room, or her companion sitting comfortably in an upholstered chair. She saw only iron bars and damp rock walls, barely lit by flickering torches, and Erika's mangled body dangling in mid-air, spinning slowly at the end of a long, heavy, blood-soaked chain. She shuddered at the memory, and with an effort, forced herself back into the present moment, looking at the young immortal now sitting across from her, healthy, strong, all her physical injuries completely healed.  
"You're very beautiful."  
This abrupt confession was completely involuntary on Selene's part. The words simply erupted from her of their own volition, but she felt no regret for having said them; it seemed like the first truly honest thing she'd said all evening. If Erika was surprised, she did not show it. Her smile was tinged with something very like sadness.  
"So are you."  
"What Kraven did to you was wrong," Selene spoke with sudden heat, and despite the softness of her voice, there was no mistaking the fury behind it. "No one deserves to be treated like that. No one. Ever."  
Erika nodded thoughtfully. "Behold the Protector," she said simply.  
The young immortal stood up from her chair, and knelt beside the couch. She took Selene's hands in hers.  
"You lived for centuries in a coven with hundreds of other souls, and you kept yourself alone all that time," she murmured with genuine pity.  
"I don't want to be alone any longer," Selene declared.  
"Then don't be alone. Be my coven. Let me care for you," she offered, in a voice barely above a whisper. "Let me protect you. As you have done for me. Let me save you."  
"Yes." Selene found herself blinking back tears. "I need you, Erika."  
"And I need you." She squeezed the cold hands gently. "Whatever's going to happen next, we'll face it. The two of us. Together. I will look after you, and you will look after me."  
Selene quickly nodded her solemn agreement, not trusting herself to speak.  
"I want you to come to work with me tomorrow," Erika said. "We're going to find out what's wrong with you, and then, we're going to fix it."  
"But the doctors at the hospital won't know how to treat immortals-" Selene started to protest, but her words faltered.  
"Maybe not," Erika agreed. "But they are still healers. And researchers. They're our best and closest hope. Do you trust me?"  
"Yes, absolutely," Selene answered, without the slightest hesitation.  
"All right, then." Erika stood up and held out her hand. "Let's get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a very busy day."  
Erika helped Selene to her feet, and they retired to the bedroom, holding hands as they walked down the short hallway. As they entered the room, Selene started to shrug herself out of her outfit mechanically; but she then paused, and turned slightly so she could finish disrobing in Erika's full view. She still felt too weak and miserable to do anything more than burrow under the blankets once she'd finished, while Erika carefully hung up her companion's clothing. Then Erika undressed herself, slowly and deliberately, while Selene watched. Selene was both too ill and emotionally fragile to feel anything remotely like a flicker of lust; yet she was suddenly and acutely aware that she _was_ coupled, in a tangible and intimate way, to this impossibly young, irritatingly headstrong and very beautiful woman. And she could scarcely believe her own good fortune.  
As Erika turned out the lamp, and slid under the blankets, Selene reached for her hand. As she rolled onto her side, she intentionally pulled Erika close to her; and as Erika happily spooned her from behind, Selene brought Erika's hand to her lips and kissed it gratefully. She guided Erika's hand to her left breast and cupped it there, covering Erika's smaller hand with her own. Erika could feel the strong, steady beat of Selene's heart through the breast and into the palm of her hand. The sensation gave her reassurance, and with it, hope.  
In the darkness, Erika smiled and snuggled contentedly against her companion. Selene was not used to showing any sort of emotion openly; even this small gesture was a huge admission - and a near-miraculous breakthrough.  
"Sleep well," Erika whispered, settling her cheek on Selene's shoulder. Within moments, both immortals were fast asleep, as the first rays of the sun spilled over the retreating banks of rainclouds racing away from the early morning sky.

* * *

It was late afternoon, and in the low dell beyond the orchard, Daniel was lifting trays of seedlings out of the back of a flatbed truck. As he was removing the last box, he saw out of his peripheral vision three men approaching from the gravel path that led to the main road. He set the box down on the tailgate, mopped his brow and focused his attention on the men. He did not know any of the men by sight, they were not neighbors. Yet they were on foot, and he had heard no vehicle anywhere in the distance. The man in front was simply massive in size, nearly seven feet tall, powerfully built and muscular, dressed simply and unobtrusively in dark shirt and slacks with heavy boots. The two smaller men, following a step behind, were dressed in what looked like military fatigues.  
"Good afternoon," Daniel greeted them cautiously, when they were within hailing distance. "Can I help you?"  
None of the men answered immediately, and as Daniel looked from one to the other, he felt his blood run cold. The beings before him had the aspect of men, but he was suddenly quite certain - and he did not know how he knew this, but he knew - these were not human beings. They were something... else.  
The leader regarded the young man with the slightest hint of a smile. _He knows,_ he thought to himself, satisfied. And if this puny mortal understood without asking who and what his visitors were, then he would also know why they were here. In truth, he only needed to know one thing; and when he finally spoke, his question was simple and direct.  
"Where are they?"


	9. Chapter 9

_Maladies_

It was shortly after five o'clock in the afternoon when the tiny alarm clock on Erika's nightstand began to softly chirrup its electronic alarm. Without opening her eyes, Erika's flailing hand reached out behind her and silenced the device with a rude smack. Sighing, Erika sank back down into the blankets and pillows, already fully prepared to sleep away another hour, when she suddenly realized she was alone in the bed. Normally by this time, she would have made Selene's bare back her pillow, and left a sizable stream of drool running down her companion's spinal column. But the bed was empty.  
Confused, and feeling more than a slight pang of carnal disappointment, Erika propped herself up on one elbow and forced her sleep-swollen eyes to open. Selene was not in the bedroom. Now slightly worried, Erika pushed herself upright and scooted herself to the edge of the bed. She took one of the heavy quilts from the rocking chair and threw it over her shoulders as an improvised shawl, and padded into the hallway. A diffuse light was coming from the living room. Erika entered the room, and saw that it was lit by two small votive candles on the low coffee table. To her sensitive vampire eyes, the candlelight was more than bright enough. She blinked furiously in its glare.  
Selene was resting on the couch, already bathed and fully dressed in her grey turtleneck, dark slacks and good shoes. She was reading from a fat, heavy book resting in her lap, and looked up and smiled warmly as Erika entered.  
"Good evening."  
"Just about," Erika grumbled, rubbing her eyes. She looked at Selene more closely and nearly dropped her quilt. Selene's dark hair, usually a tousled, tangled mess, now hung in more or less straight bangs on either side of her face. The styling was not skillfully done, but even so, it made an arresting change to Selene's appearance. Selene set the book on the low coffee table and stood up.  
"Well, how do I look?" she asked. "Will I pass for a mortal?"  
"Oh, my God, you combed your hair," Erika gasped, her mouth agape with astonishment.  
"Well... I tried to," Selene admitted.  
"You look beautiful," Erika gushed. Her admiration was as complete as it was sincere, and Selene fidgeted self-consciously at the compliment.  
"I do?" she asked anxiously.  
"Yes," Erika assured her. "You do."  
A distinctly carnal grin slowly spread across Selene's face. "You're very beautiful, too."  
As Selene stared at her, smiling, Erika suddenly realized that apart from the quilt over her shoulders, she was entirely naked, and exposed to Selene's view. Erika was rarely self-conscious of her own nudity, but now, barely awake and finding herself the subject of an open, admiring gaze, she felt uncharacteristically flustered.  
"I'm, ah, going to take a quick shower," she said needlessly, pointing vaguely in the direction of the bathroom. "Be right back."  
Erika retreated quickly into her bath, yanking the shower curtain violently around her. She desperately needed to hide herself under a cascade of hot water, while her brain sorted through a near-torrential overflow of feelings.  
Selene did look beautiful, whenever she could be bothered to tend to her appearance; but that Erika already knew. But what unnerved her so was how differently Selene regarded her. They had seen each other naked many times, and slept side by side many days, but no true spark of desire had passed between them - until just now. Selene was regarding Erika with open admiration - and that interest was overtly sexual.  
Erika had openly flirted with Selene ever since they left Europe together; she had to admit that, even to herself. Certainly at the start, her flirtations were intended in part as an intentional provocation, to goad a woman who kept her feelings well and too carefully concealed. But even as time had passed, Erika's playful flirtations had continued, even escalated, clearly intending to arouse. Yes, she was lonely, and even badly frightened, but that would neither explain nor excuse her insistent overtures for sex. Why did she seek to bind herself to this one person? Why Selene? Why her?  
She had flirted with Daniel, but that had been a harmless flirtation. There was no practical chance of anything actually happening - and therefore, no risk. But this situation was far, far different, and no matter how it resolved, nothing was ever going to be the same. And Erika knew only too well how dangerous such upheavals could be.  
In her mortal life, Erika had always taken male lovers, and prided herself on keeping those relationships strictly casual. But when Kraven turned her, she had been forced to start her life anew. She lost her mortal family and friends, and had only her sire to turn to for comfort. Erika's interest in Kraven was anything but casual. In some tortured way, she had pleaded for approval from the creature that had completely destroyed her life - and he had shown next to no interest in her, once he'd remade her into a creature like himself. He used her, when it struck his fancy to do so; he had also belittled her, dismissed her, discarded her - and in the end, he had attempted to kill her.  
And now, Erika was forced to start over again - but this time, her companion was someone who had grown to like her and trust her - far enough even to feel the stirrings of a romantic attachment. Selene represented everything Erika ever truly wanted in a lover and a partner. Someone who was honest. Strong. Protective. Kind. But was it real? Was she retreating towards Selene, simply because she knew with Selene she would be safe? And what exactly was wrong with seeking safety in a partner, anyway?  
Erika shut off the water abruptly. Despite the fact she had been standing in the tub for the better part of fifteen minutes, drenching herself in nearly scalding hot water, she was trembling violently. _You're very beautiful._ Selene had spoken those words to her. Selene, who had rebuffed the advances of generations of men; who had closed herself off to friendships and lovers alike; who seldom expressed any emotion openly, save for anger... but to Erika, she had shown so much more. Erika had seen aspects of Selene she was certain now few others had ever seen. Her companion was possessed of a sardonic wit, a dry sense of humor, an abject loneliness which she wished desperately to end. _You're very beautiful._ And Erika had answered, in all honesty and without hesitation, _So are you._ So why was she so afraid?  
She reached out for a towel, and tried not to notice that her hands were shaking.  
"God damn it," she muttered softly, under her breath.

Erika dried herself off quickly, and returned to the bedroom, dressing herself in her nicest outfit. She studied herself anxiously in the freestanding mirror, hoping her fears wouldn't show - or that at least Selene would mistake them for concern about her health.  
Finally, unable to delay any longer, Erika sighed heavily, straightened her posture, and returned to the living room. Selene was reading once again from the heavy book she'd seen earlier. She looked up and smiled as Erika entered.  
"Did you want to have breakfast, before we go into town?" she asked with forced nonchalance.  
"Yes," Erika nodded. "Have you eaten?"  
"Not yet. I was waiting for you."  
"What are you reading?"  
Selene held up the book and smiled with embarrassment. It was a leather bound copy of the King James Version of the Holy Bible.  
"I found it in one of the desk drawers," she explained, almost apologetically. "It just occurred to me, I had never read _Le Sainte Bible_ in English before."  
"I didn't think you were religious," Erika said hesitantly.  
Selene shrugged. "I was raised Catholic, when I was mortal," she said. "After I was turned, I thought I was beyond God's salvation."  
"Do you feel differently now?" Erika regretted the question the moment it left her lips, but there was no recalling it.  
Selene regarded the question entirely seriously. "It may be, after all this time, I am still damned beyond all redemption," she allowed. "But - I am considering the possibility that it may not be a waste of time to ask God's forgiveness."  
Erika mulled that over. "My father used to say, there is no sin that can't be forgiven, if the sinner is truly penitent."  
"Did he find that in the Bible?"  
"I don't know," Erika had to admit. "I never read it."  
Selene's smile had a glint of mischievousness to it. "The vicar's daughter doesn't know her scriptures?" she teased gently.  
As Erika seemed flustered, she added soothingly, "That's all right. You're young. You have your whole life to live yet. It's only old women like me who feel the need to repent."  
"You're not old," Erika protested.  
Selene gave her companion a tolerating smile. "Erika, I was born in 1742."  
"So, you're two-hundred-and-sixty-something. What does that matter? That doesn't make you old."  
Selene actually laughed, and it was a beautiful, lilting, carefree sound. "Tell that to my creaking, two hundred and sixty year old spine," she retorted, still laughing.  
"What I meant is, age is a state of mind." Erika sat down on the floor next to the couch, so that their faces were almost touching. "When you're old, you give up looking for new ways to do things," she said earnestly. "You close yourself off to the possibility of anything different. But here you are, trying out a brand new life, immersing yourself in a completely new situation, something outside your previous experience. A truly old person wouldn't do that."  
"And only a very young person would make such a ridiculous statement," Selene chided, but she was smiling broadly as she said it.  
Erika again felt a distinct thrill running between her shoulder blades as Selene smiled at her. She wanted desperately to lean forward and steal a kiss from that beautiful mouth - but her courage failed her, and she quickly stood up.  
"I'm going to go make us some breakfast," she announced, and hurried into the kitchen. 

Breakfast - which amounted to a glass of blood and a mug of tea - was completed in mercifully short order, as both Erika and Selene dined in awkward silence. Both were acutely aware that not only had their relationship changed, but that it was going to change again, significantly; and neither had the first idea how to broach the subject. But by the time the sun had set far enough for them to move safely about, the kitchen had been cleaned up, and each woman was shrugging herself into her winter coat.  
As they stepped out onto the porch, Erika locked the door to the upper apartment and pocketed the key. Selene reached out her hand. She offered Erika a carefully neutral smile, not wanting her to feel in any way pressured or frightened. After a moment's hesitation, Erika clasped Selene's outstretched hand in her own, and they walked slowly down the steps together, side by side. They continued holding hands as they walked up the street in the direction of the bus stop. There was an intermittent drizzle in the early evening air, and heavier rain was approaching from the south; yet the sun had barely set, and it was still light enough even for mortal eyes to see clearly without the aid of electric lights.  
"I forgot to ask you, how was your first night at work," Selene said, after they had walked in silence for a few moments. "I'm sorry. I should have asked you that last night. I'm not very good at conversation."  
"That's all right," Erika assured her, but she could hardly speak; she could feel her heart pounding heavily in her chest, and she was sure the accelerated pumping of blood was easily detectable between their clasped hands.  
"So, how was it?"  
"Good!" Erika answered, a little too forcefully, and then she forced herself to speak in a normal voice. "It went fine. It's going to be an interesting job. One of the technicians is tutoring me. Her name's Renee. She's really sweet."  
"Will I meet her tonight?"  
"Probably."  
"And what about Doctor Halloway?"  
"He's the one we're going to consult about your - illness," Erika confessed, faltering over the word.  
"Do you think he can help me?" Selene asked, in all seriousness.  
"I think even if he can't, he might be able to direct us to someone who can."  
"All right." Selene was willing to accept that.  
"You seem to be feeling better tonight," Erika said hopefully.  
"I'm still weak," Selene admitted reluctantly.  
"Are you okay to do this?" Erika worried.  
"Yes," Selene reassured her firmly. "I promise, if I'm not feeling well, I'll say something right away."  
Erika regarded her companion carefully. Something in Selene's demeanor _had_ changed. She was open in ways even Erika had not previously seen. She was far more vulnerable, yes, but there was something else to it. Selene had spent literal centuries building up layers of impenetrable emotional armor, but that armor had now cracked into pieces and fallen away. The miracle was, in this completely unprotected state, Selene was inviting Erika into her heart. The young immortal felt distinctly giddy at this realization; she seemed to be suffering from the emotional equivalent of vertigo. The whole world seemed to be spinning wildly in a blur all around them.  
Still holding hands, the immortals took shelter under the awning of the bus stop just as the rain started in earnest.  
"What are you thinking?" Erika asked finally.  
There was something melancholy in Selene's smile. "I don't even know where to start," she confessed. "I'm thinking - what am I thinking?" She frowned slightly, trying to sort out the relentless maelstrom of thoughts in her head into some sort of sensible order. "I'm thinking, how are we going to live, how are we going to hunt? How are we going to feed? And I don't mean just for right now. Are we still going to be here a year from now? Five years? Ten? And then I'm thinking, will I even be alive a year from now?"  
"Selene -"  
"But mostly what I'm thinking is, I _want_ to be alive a year from now. I want to be alive ten years, or longer. That's why I'm so afraid of being sick. Because now, there is something - some _one,"_ she corrected herself, "I want to live for."  
She fixed Erika in her gaze. "I was dead," she said simply. "And you brought me back to life. I don't know how, or why, or even how to thank you..."  
The words trailed off, and Erika looked at Selene with astonishment. The person standing next to her, holding her hand, was no longer a vampire or a soldier or a Death Dealer; her eyes no longer had an immortal cast to them. Her irises had shifted from the deep, pitiless black of the vampire to the softer, dark nut-brown of a mortal. She was simply the woman, Selene. A strong, beautiful, intelligent and utterly lonely woman, who was pushing aside centuries' worth of accumulated pain, rage, betrayal and loss so that she could trust again - and even love. Erika felt her eyes burning with tears.  
"Kiss me," she whispered plaintively.  
Selene looked at her longingly, but didn't move or reply.  
"It's okay if you kiss me," Erika was almost pleading her encouragement. "I _want_ you to kiss me."  
Hesitantly, Selene stepped forward; she brought up a shaking hand to take Erika's arm. Seeing that Erika was anxiously awaiting her, she leaned in, and after a long moment to summon her courage, she shyly let her lips brush against hers. She paused, then pressed slightly harder, but still their lips barely touched. Selene stepped back, faltering, her own desires still pinioned by her inhibitions.  
"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I'm not really good at kissing, either-"  
Erika didn't let her finish. Pulling her close, she kissed Selene ardently, communicating a desire so simple and direct Selene felt almost as if an electric shock had passed through her body. Erika stepped back, still holding Selene tightly but wanting to look into her eyes. The last of Selene's defenses crumbled completely, and she returned Erika's gaze with simple, pure longing.  
"Do that again," she pleaded breathlessly.  
Erika was only too happy to oblige. She pulled Selene to her and kissed her again, this time long and lingering. Selene felt helpless to respond, she received Erika's passionate kiss but knew not how to answer; she was simply melting in Erika's embrace. When Erika finally released her and stepped back, Selene's face was wet with tears.  
"What is it?" Erika asked in dismay. "What's wrong?"  
Selene smiled tearfully. "Nothing," she assured her in a choked voice. "Nothing's wrong. It's-"  
Momentarily unable to speak, she clasped Erika's hand in hers, pressed her fingers to her lips and kissed them. She took in a deep breath to steady herself. "Can I please try that again?"  
Erika's answer was to pull Selene close in another long kiss. Desperately, Selene did everything she could to respond willingly to Erika's touch. She felt completely lost in these strange new sensations. This was a language she did not speak, and yet it seemed to her a matter of life and death to somehow communicate the depth of her desire, her ardor, her wish to love and be loved in return. When they finally parted, after several moments, Erika regarded her newfound lover with a wide smile.  
"Our first kiss," she murmured approvingly.  
"Was it - did I -"  
"I loved it," Erika assured her. "I love you."  
The sacred words fell out of her mouth, before she even knew she was saying them. Selene and Erika stared at the other in astonishment, and Erika felt as if all time had come to a stop. She had longed for some time to say those words aloud, but also had dreaded speaking them. Once uttered, for good or ill, nothing would ever be the same again. She had written the words before, but written words carried less risk somehow; they did not hold the same absolute responsibility of the promise. A scribbled note could be negated, dismissed or deflected. The words were spoken aloud now, with the full weight of Erika's heart behind them; and there was no more hiding, and no going back.  
"I love you, Selene," Erika affirmed with all the sincerity of her immortal heart.  
Selene stared at Erika dumbfounded for a long moment, then pulled her close and kissed her passionately, finding at last the language that would allow her to convey what words could not; that the love being offered was not only accepted, but gratefully and happily returned. As the kiss ended, Erika felt her heart breaking with joy.  
"I love you, Erika Archer," Selene whispered, tears still welling in her dark brown eyes. "My Erika. My brave, beautiful Erika. Yes. I love you."  
They kissed each other again in the darkening twilight, and were still embracing as a large, mud-splattered bus pulled up to the stop, its brakes coughing and wheezing irritably in the early evening downpour. Giggling, Erika tugged at Selene's hand as a child might, and they boarded the bus together. The interior of the bus was nearly empty, as it was headed back into town at an hour when most mortals were taking the outbound buses home. Erika paid the fare, and the two immortals settled into the two nearest adjoining seats, clasping their hands as they sat together. The bus lurched away from the stop, and Selene looked at Erika.  
"Thank you," she said quietly.  
Erika frowned in puzzlement. "For what?"  
"For rescuing me."  
Once more, Erika found herself blinking back tears. "Thank _you,"_ she answered solemnly, "For rescuing _me."_

* * *  


The early evening rain continued to fall, steady as a drum, when the bus wheezed to a stop in front of the hospital a few minutes later. Serene and Erika walked placidly through the rhythmic downpour to the hospital entrance, still hand in hand. The wide lobby was utterly silent, and uncharacteristically for the hour, empty of people. After shaking the rain off their coats, Erika guided Selene through a maze of ever-narrowing corridors to the lab. Selene shook her head in vexation.  
"This is almost as bad as navigating the catacombs beneath Great House," she complained.  
"No," Erika grinned. "It's definitely worse."  
Erika stopped at a nondescript door, and quickly punched in a passcode next to the doorknob. An internal lock released with a surprisingly loud click, and the door opened slightly. Erika smiled at Selene.  
"Come in," she invited her.  
As they entered the lab area, Erika saw Renee sitting on a stool near one of the computer stations. Standing next to her was a portly male nurse in his early thirties wearing green smocks, with a well trimmed beard and thick glasses.  
"Hey, Erika, welcome back! So we didn't manage to scare you off after the first night?" Renee greeted Erika warmly.  
"Hi, Renee. No, I came back," Erika laughed. “Now that the boot camp is over, I thought I would see if I can actually do some work.”  
"Great. I brought some smocks for you to try on." She noticed Selene and frowned slightly. "Is this your roommate?"  
"Yes. Selene, this is Renee, she's my shift manager; Renee, this is my friend Selene."  
Selene bobbed her head slightly in greeting.  
The male nurse stared at Erika with open admiration and sighed profoundly. "She's English. God, I love that accent."  
"Sweetie, visitors aren't allowed back here," Renee admonished gently. "This is a restricted area."  
"I brought her to see Doctor Halloway."  
"Doesn't matter, kiddo. We have strict rules about access, and we have to stick to them."  
Selene glanced at Erika. "I can wait outside," she suggested. "I don't want to cause any trouble."  
"They're _both_ English," the male nurse panted as if he were a large dog. "This is Christmas. Please, say something," he pleaded with the two visitors. "Say _anything._ Just so I can hear you talk."  
Renee rolled her eyes. "Earl? You're being annoying."  
She hopped off the stool and took the young man by the hand, and gently but firmly pushed him towards the exit. "Go and do your rounds. Before you force me to do something really evil to you on my next break."  
"But - they're Brits," Earl protested.  
“Yes, they are. And it’s no excuse for you to be loitering. So get lost.”  
The male nurse seemed rooted to the spot, gaping at two immortals to the point where even Selene felt slightly uneasy.  
But Erika merely smiled at him tolerantly. "Hello, Earl," she greeted the young man. "I'm Erika. I’m pleased to meet you. Now, why don't you go collect the blood and stool samples for us, so Renee and I can get some work done this evening. All right?"  
"Yes, ma'am," Earl nodded vigorously, and, eager to please, shuffled hastily out the door.  
Selene looked at Erika questioningly.  
"Oh, please," Erika sighed, rolling her eyes. “I don't even need to use fascination on boys like him.” She turned to Renee. "Is Doctor Halloway in yet?"  
"He's just down the hall. He should be back any minute."  
"Is there someplace close by, where Selene could wait until he returns?"  
"Sure. There's a waiting area three doors back, on the left."  
"I can find it," Selene assured Erika. "I don't want to keep you from your work."  
Her tone of voice suggested that "work" was nothing more than a pretense, but, for the moment, she was obliged to play along.  
“I’ll come get you,” Erika promised. Selene gave Erika’s hand one final squeeze, and then departed. Renee smiled knowingly at Erika.  
“What?” Erika asked.  
“Your girlfriend is really cute.”  
Erika opened her mouth to protest, but just as quickly stopped herself. “Thanks,” she answered awkwardly, feeling utterly self-conscious and unsure how to respond.  
“What's even cuter is how the two of you were holding hands the entire time. She must be pretty special.”  
“She is.” Erika had no trouble responding to that comment, even though she felt slightly embarrassed by Renee’s observation.  
Renee seemed to sense that Erika was feeling awkward, so she changed the subject. “I brought you some gear.” She held up a large paper bag with rope handles. “This should help tide you over, until you can get some work clothes of your own.”  
Erika was genuinely touched by the gesture. “I don’t know how to thank you,” she said appreciatively. “You’re very kind.”  
Renee shrugged. “You’re a long way from home,” she said simply. “Takes a lot of balls to just pick up and start over somewhere new. You’ve got a lot more courage than I have, kiddo.”  
“All the same, thank you.” Erika took the bag and glanced inside. There were at least three full outfits, slightly worn, but spotlessly clean and still serviceable. She was momentarily overwhelmed by the woman’s generosity. “Renee - I… thank you,” she said, words failing her. “Thank you.”  
Renee merely smiled. “Ready to get to work, then?”  
“Absolutely.”  
The wait for Doctor Halloway was not a terribly long one. Less than five minutes after Selene departed, he entered from the side door that led out to the service area. He seemed genuinely surprised to see Erika.  
“You’re - here,” he said awkwardly.  
Erika gave him her most reassuring smile. “Good evening, Doctor Halloway.”  
The doctor made no reply. Instead, he shook his head slightly, as if to clear his thoughts; then he stepped over to the console where Renee was sitting. He handed her a clipboard.  
“Can you please run these reports for me tonight,” he said, for the moment ignoring Erika entirely. “I’d like to see the results before you go off shift.”  
“Yes, certainly,” Renee answered, slightly confused by Halloway’s unusually stiff manner.  
Halloway had almost reached the door again when he turned on his heel.  
“Erika, I’d like to see you in my office.”  
Erika and Renee exchanged a puzzled glance.  
“Yes, sir.” Erika quickly got up to follow.  
Halloway’s office was little more than a desk, two chairs and a set of filing cabinets squeezed into a cul-de-sac at the end of one of the hallways, but it was well segregated from the other foot traffic in the hall, and afforded a reasonable amount of privacy. Halloway took his seat behind his desk. He seemed flustered. Erika sat meekly in the chair across from his.  
Halloway steepled his hands for a moment, as if considering how to begin the conversation, then he looked at Erika directly for the first time.  
“I wasn’t sure you’d be here tonight,” he confessed.  
Erika smiled nervously. “Why wouldn’t I be?”  
Halloway shifted in his chair uncomfortably. “In fact, Erika, I’m not sure what to make of you at all,” he elaborated. “When we first met, I remember you asking me about job openings. Which seemed rather surreal to me at the time, as most applicants simply go to the Human Resources department during business hours. Not in restricted areas in the middle of the night. Especially not near any of the blood storage facilities.”  
Erika’s heart sank. “You - remember that?” she asked weakly.  
“And then, I remember a rather peculiar interview for the lab technician job. Peculiar in that I have no memory of several critical details that should be well documented and aren’t - such as your work history, previous professional credentials or any documentation that actually identifies you.”  
Erika made no reply. She could almost feel herself shrinking involuntarily into her seat.  
“There are many things about how you managed to obtain employment here that I don’t understand,” Halloway continued. “And I’m wondering how much of that has to do with your being - a vampire.” Halloway stumbled over the word, as if he couldn’t quite bring himself to say it out loud. Erika drew in a sharp breath.  
“But the hardest part for me for understand of all,” Halloway continued, after an awkward pause, “Is that you actually showed up for work, as if you wanted this job.”  
“I _do_ want this job,” Erika blurted out.  
“I took the liberty of checking the blood supplies very thoroughly after your first shift. Nothing was unaccounted for. And - how shall I put this? - none of the patients in the nearby areas had been… molested. I also went back and checked the records for the storage facilities on the night we first met. Officially, nothing’s missing. But I can’t help but feel that those records are probably inaccurate.”  
Erika turned her head away, unable to meet Halloway’s gaze.  
“I need to ask you some very pointed questions, Erika. And I expect some very honest answers.”  
Erika swallowed hard.  
“Have you been feeding on anyone here in the hospital?”  
“NO,” Erika declared forcefully.  
“Have you stolen any blood from our banks?”  
“I took two blood bags from your stores, on the night we first met,” Erika admitted, reluctantly.  
“Why did you do that?”  
“I was starving.”  
Halloway mulled that over. “That’s the _only_ time you’ve taken supplies from the hospital?”  
“I took another bag, the night you interviewed me," Erika confessed.  
“Why is it, do you suppose, that I have no memory of you taking those blood bags?”  
Erika didn’t immediately answer, and Halloway’s expression grew impassively grave. “May I assume some sort of mesmeric influence was involved?”  
When Erika still didn’t reply, Halloway prompted, “I need an answer, Erika.”  
“YES!” Erika said angrily. “Yes, I stole bags of blood from your hospital. I’m a thief. Is that what you wanted to hear? I stole that blood to stay alive.”  
“Why did you ask me about the job in the lab?” Halloway’s question didn’t seem to come from a cross-examination; he seemed genuinely curious.  
“Because I don’t want to be a thief,” Erika cried out passionately. “And I don’t want to hurt anyone. I want to earn my keep, just like anyone else.”  
“Then why the deception?”  
“I was desperate. I couldn’t afford to take the chance that you would say no.”  
Halloway frowned. “I have to be blunt, Erika. I could only come up with one reason why a vampire would take up the pretense of working in a hospital. Yet you don’t seem to be feeding on the staff. Or the patients.”  
“It’s not a pretense -”  
“I would like to believe that. I’m not sure I can.”  
“I only used fascination on you because I have no credentials. I know I can do the work. I just don’t have any paperwork to prove it.”  
“Or any paperwork giving you legal status to be in the country?”  
“No,” Erika admitted sadly.  
Halloway’s demeanor softened somewhat. “Where are you from?”  
“England. Just like I said in our first interview. I’m a British citizen. But I’ve been living in Hungary for the last five years.”  
“And what were you doing there?”  
“Learning how to be a monster.”  
Halloway regarded Erika critically. The girl seemed to have surrendered to her situation, and was apparently intending to throw herself entirely on his mercy. The one possible upside to this interview was the chance of getting some honest answers to his questions.  
“You mean, that’s when you became a vampire.”  
“Yes.”  
“What really brings you to Seattle?”  
“My friend and I are trying to run away from the monsters.”  
“You have a companion. Another vampire?” Halloway guessed.  
“Yes.”  
“And is he running away from the monsters, too?”  
“She. Her name is Selene. Yes. We’re fugitives.”  
Halloway steepled his hands again, the tips of his fingers barely grazing his lips - apparently his displacement activity when in deep thought.  
“What kind of trouble are you really in?” he asked at last.  
“There is… a clan of Lycans - werewolves, you call them - very old, very powerful,” Erika began haltingly. “Well established in that part of Eastern Europe. They are the sworn enemies of all vampires. My coven was recently destroyed in a Lycan attack. Selene and I managed to escape. But we had to run for our lives.”  
To her own surprise, Erika found she could barely get the words out. She hadn’t the time to register the trauma of the last few weeks. Recounting it now, even in this summary fashion, felt like re-opening barely healed wounds. Halloway noted her discomfiture carefully.  
“You’re a refugee from a war zone,” he suggested.  
Erika thought for a moment. She had never once considered to frame her own predicament in this fashion. And yet, on a superficial level, it made a certain amount of sense.  
“I suppose I am,” she agreed numbly.  
“And are you safe here?”  
Erika looked directly into Halloway’s eyes. “I don’t know,” she said with complete truthfulness.  
“Why did you come here, looking for work? It doesn’t seem to be, well, a very vampiric thing to do.”  
Erika sighed wearily. “Selene says the same thing. I suppose it’s because I’m fledgling.”  
“Fledgling?” Halloway frowned, uncertain in what context the word was being used.  
Erika managed a weak smile. “A new vampire,” she explained. “One who has yet to live out a mortal lifespan.”  
“Ah.”  
“I was turned just over four years ago, when I was barely twenty-one. So I still look very close to my real age.”  
“So, you met these - vampires - while you were at school,” Halloway summarized, still struggling to put the pieces together. “And you asked to be turned?”  
Despite her natural pallor, Erika’s face flushed involuntarily with rage. “I was raped,” she almost spat the words. “Turned against my will.”  
“Erika, I’m so sorry,” Halloway said quietly. “I had no idea.”  
The apology was not a reflexive response, he seemed genuinely sympathetic. But Erika wasn’t yet sure she could trust even that glimmer of hope. Halloway sighed deeply.  
“So, this wasn’t something you chose for yourself, then.”  
_“No,”_ Erika declared emphatically, trying to push away both her anger and her pain.  
“And so you thought you would continue here,” Halloway speculated after a long moment. “Finish out the mortal life that was stolen from you. And presumably, free from the vampire who attacked you, as well as these - Lycans.”  
“Yes,” Erika admitted, somewhat guardedly.  
“This coven you belonged to - I assume you mean this was a gathering of other vampires.”  
“Yes.”  
“But they weren’t your friends?” Intuiting the situation, he added, “Or perhaps one or more of them were the ones who attacked you.”  
“It’s - complicated.”  
“I have no doubt,” Halloway agreed sympathetically, and apparently without irony.  
Erika regarded him quizzically. “You seem to know an awful lot about vampires.”  
Halloway allowed himself a humorless smile. “I really don’t,” he assured her.  
“But you’ve met them before.”  
“Yes.”  
“Here?” Erika asked hopefully.  
Halloway’s smile vanished. “I’m asking the questions tonight, Erika.”  
“Of course,” Erika answered in a subdued voice.  
“And I need complete candor from you. Because I have to decide what to do about you, and frankly, I’m still not sure what the appropriate action should be.”  
There was a long, silent and utterly awkward pause as Halloway and Erika regarded each other warily, wavering uncertainly between suspicion and trust. Halloway finally broke the silence.  
“You were studying medicine at the time you were… turned?”  
“Yes,” Erika nodded vigorously. “That part of our first interview was completely true. I had been in a pre-med program for about half a year. I wanted, eventually, to become a pediatrician.”  
“And is that still what you want?”  
“I - don’t know,” Erika answered, after a moment’s hesitation. “It doesn’t seem possible any more.” Her voice turned distinctly sad.  
Halloway’s next question caught Erika off guard. “Do you need blood?”  
She hesitated a moment before answering, and decided that for tonight at least, her every answer would be utterly truthful. “Yes.”  
“For yourself and Selene?”  
“Yes.”  
“A steady supply of it.”  
“Yes.”  
Halloway pursed his lips. “Would it help you, if part of your salary was paid in blood?”  
Erika stared at him open-mouthed. She could hardly believe what she was hearing.  
“It would save our lives,” she answered finally, barely finding her voice.  
Halloway mulled that over for a long moment, considering. Then he asked, “What would you do, if I dismissed you from the staff?”  
Erika trembled slightly, and her eyes filled with tears, but she didn’t cry. “I’ll do whatever I have to,” she said. “To protect myself and Selene.”  
“Even kill?”  
“I haven’t killed anyone. Yet.”  
Halloway looked at her in surprise. Erika didn’t appear to be lying. But she wasn’t willing to rule out crossing any moral boundaries in order to survive, either.  
“She means a great deal to you,” Halloway observed.  
“I wouldn’t be alive right now, if it wasn’t for her.”  
“Alive?” Halloway raised an eyebrow.  
“I am just as alive and real as you are,” Erika answered with some heat. “My heart beats, I breathe just like you do. I can be hurt or injured just like anyone else. I’m not dead, or _un_ dead, and I am _not_ a monster -”  
She broke off abruptly, her emotions threatening to overwhelm her. “She’s very sick,” she said in a barely audible voice.  
Halloway frowned. “Sorry, what was that?”  
“My friend Selene. She’s very ill. She -” Erika broke off again, not wanting to break down in tears in front of a man she barely knew. “She needs a doctor.”  
Halloway's solemn expression became even more grave. “And you can’t turn to your own people for help.”  
“No.”  
“I see. Your friend Selene - she’s here with you tonight?”  
“She’s down the hall. In one of the waiting areas.”  
“And you didn’t want to take her to see just any doctor, because you don’t know who to trust.” There was distinct sadness in Halloway’s voice.  
“Yes.” Erika decided to take an immense leap of faith. “I was hoping, even if you couldn’t treat Selene, you could help us find someone. We’re not hiding the fact that we’re vampires,” she added hastily. “But we _are_ hiding. We’re…” she paused, considering. “You could say we’re in the vampire equivalent of a witness protection program. I really am putting my life at risk - and Selene’s - by confiding in you.”  
Halloway steepled his hands again, deep in thought. Erika involuntarily held her breath, not even daring to pray for her life in the balance. Evidently coming to a decision, Halloway lowered his hands and leaned forward in his chair. He sighed heavily.  
“You are a brand new hire,” he said at last. “Like any new employee, this a probationary period for you. It would have been helpful if you’d been this candid with me in our first interview. Although I certainly understand your reluctance to reveal some of your recent history. Your ability to conceal your actions through your - fascination, you called it? - will make it extremely difficult for us to establish the level of trust we need. Still, you’re here now, and I believe you when you say you want to work here. However, because of what you’ve just told me, I am going to have to set some additional guidelines to your probation - for your protection as well as mine.”  
Erika didn’t dare speak; she was barely able to force herself to take the shallowest of breaths.  
“One, you will never again subject me, or any member of the hospital staff, to this little hypnotizing trick of yours.”  
He paused for a moment, to gauge Erika’s reaction. She was listening intently. He continued.  
“Two, you will not steal any blood from the hospital. Nor will you, or your friend, feed on any person on hospital grounds. Staff, patients, visitors, no one. Is this clearly understood?”  
Mutely, Erika nodded her consent.  
“Third, you will apply for a work visa. If you’re intending to remain here, as an employee of the hospital, then you’ll do so legally, in compliance with all laws, including your immigration status. If you need help with this, I’ll assist you. I understand that you wish to stay off the radar, so to speak; but we also need to make sure you have protection under the law - beginning with a valid legal status.”  
As Erika shifted uncomfortably in her chair, he added, “You’ve already managed to put some considerable distance between yourself and your pursuers,” he pointed out. “Hungary is still half a world away - even for a vampire or werewolf.”  
Erika relaxed somewhat. She still did not know his ulterior motives, but Halloway seemed genuine in his intent to help - and Erika desperately needed to acquire as many allies as she could find. She nodded her assent.  
“Finally, you will show up for work, on time, complete a full shift and all tasks assigned to you according to schedule… no disruptions, and no excuses. If you’re willing to accept these terms, then I will… restructure your compensation,” he said carefully, “To ensure that _all_ your critical needs are met.”  
Erika felt distinctly light-headed. Halloway was apparently willing to risk protecting her, even to the point of supplying her with blood. There was no blackmail, or even the hint of it, in his terms. She could scarcely believe it.  
“Why?” she asked finally.  
“Why what?”  
“Why are you helping me?”  
Halloway regarded the young woman for a long moment. Erika _was_ a young woman, as much as she was anything else; but she was also a dangerous creature in a perilous situation, where circumstances could easily force her into becoming a true monster. If Erika's situation turned ugly, there was no practical limit to the amount of harm she could cause, to herself and others. And yet, she clearly wished to hang onto any remaining sense of humanity and community she possessed; and whether or not she had that opportunity was now entirely in his hands. He gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile.  
“Trust is earned,” he said. “I think we understand one another. And we want to trust each other. I want you to have the opportunity to prove you’re everything you say you are.”  
“And to prove I’m not a monster?”  
“I'd rather ensure that you don't have to learn how to be one,” he answered simply. “And now, I think it’s time you brought your friend Selene in to see me.”  
Erika nodded, and stood up. “May I thank you?” she asked. “May I be grateful?”  
Halloway gave Erika his first truly relaxed smile of the night. “If you wish to show your gratitude, let your actions match the agreement we’ve made tonight. Those are the only thanks I need.” As Erika started to turn away, Halloway held up a hand.  
“I don’t know if I can help her,” he cautioned.  
For the first time since she sat down with Halloway, Erika managed a smile of her own.  
“You’ve already helped us both,” she declared.


End file.
